The Movement for Democratic Change was reported to have won 60 percent of the constituencies in the 2000 elections, according to the rumour mill which was spurred by the party’s victories in Matabeleland.
Some of the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front casualties, according to the rumour mill, were Mashonaland central governor Border Gezi, war veterans leader Chenjerai Hunzvi and Deputy Local Government Minister Tony Gara.
The three were known staunch supporters of President Robert Mugabe.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 00HARARE3490, GOZ BEGINS ANNOUNCING RESULTS;
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
261729Z Jun 00
CONFIDENTIAL PTO7571
PAGE 01 HARARE 03490 261725Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00
DS-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00
VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /006W
——————671B90 261726Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6444
INFO NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 003490
SIPDIS
AF FOR P/DAS POWELL AND DAS SCHNEIDMAN
AF/S FOR A. RENDER, D. BOOTH, AND T. FAULK
AF/PD FOR PATIN AND HOWARD
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/10
SUBJECT: GOZ BEGINS ANNOUNCING RESULTS;
UNCONFIRMED RUMORS OF MDC SUCCESS ABOUND
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD. REASON:
1.5(B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) INITIAL RESULTS OF THE JUNE 24-25
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03490 261725Z
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WERE ANNOUNCED AT 1830 LOCAL
TIME BY REGISTRAR GENERAL TOBIWA MUDEDE. THE THREE
CONSTITUENCIES ANNOUNCED, ALL IN MATABELELAND
PROVINCE, VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY FOR MOVEMENT FOR
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) CANDIDATES. THE RUMOR MILL
IS GIVING THE MDC VICTORIES IN ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF
THE CONSTITUENCIES. UNCONFIRMED REPORTS GIVE THE
MDC VICTORIES IN BULAWAYO, VICTORIA FALLS, HWANGE,
GWANDA, MARONDERA, MASVINGO CENTRAL, HARARE NORTH
AND HARARE CENTRAL. MDC WINNERS ARE SAID TO INCLUDE
DAVID COLTART, WELSHMAN NCUBE, AND TRUDIE STEVENSON.
IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER MDC LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI
WON THE RACE IN BUHERA NORTH CONSTITUENCY. AT THIS
WRITING, IT APPEARS THAT ZANU-PF LOSERS MAY INCLUDE
SOME KEY MINISTERS, AS WELL AS MASHONALAND CENTRAL
GOVERNOR BORDER GEZI, WAR VET LEADER HITLER HUNZVI,
AND DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT TONY GARA.
AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL UNCONFIRMED RUMORS. AN MDC
SOURCE ANNOUNCED HIMSELF “SATISFIED” WITH THE
CONDUCT OF THE COUNTING. ISAAC MAPOSA OF THE
NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY, WHO IS
SPEARHEADING THE DOMESTIC OBSERVER EFFORT, EXPRESSED
CONCERN THAT THE DELAY IN ANNOUNCING RESULTS WILL
MAKE MANIPULATION OF THEM EASIER, SINCE MONITORS AND
PARTY AGENTS WHO HAVE BEEN GUARDING THE BALLOT BOXES
NIGHT AND DAY SINCE SATURDAY ARE BY NOW EXHAUSTED.
¶2. (U) OFFICIALS AT THE GOVERNMENT’S MEDIA CENTER,
WHICH OPENED AT 11:00 A.M., ANNOUNCED AT ABOUT 3:30
P.M. THAT THE LARGE VOTER TURNOUT HAD DELAYED
COUNTING, AND APPEALED FOR CALM AS THE RESULTS ARE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03490 261725Z
AWAITED. THEY SAID THAT POLICE WOULD BE DEPLOYED TO
EVERY CONSTITUENCY IN THE COUNTRY AND WOULD REMAIN
THERE UNTIL THE COUNTING PROCESS IS COMPLETED.
¶3. (U) AT THIS WRITING, AN EMBASSY OFFICER REPORTS
THAT BULAWAYO IS CALM, AND HARARE IS AS WELL. ALL
EMBASSY ELECTION OBSERVERS ARE SAFE. AN EAC MEETING
WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 27.
MCDONALD
CONFIDENTIAL
>
(47 VIEWS)
