President Robert Mugabe backed off from announcing himself winner of the 2008 elections because of the large support for Movement for Democratic Change candidate Morgan Tsvangirai and pressure from the military and his own party.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was going to announce that Tsvangirai had won slightly less than 50 percent which would necessitate a run-off within 21 days.
United States embassy sources said the ZEC was going to announce that the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front had won most of the parliamentary seats, but would be a minority with the candidates allied to Tsvangirai and Simba Makoni gaining the majority of seats.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE249, HARARE CALM, RUNOFF LIKELY
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO8696
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0249 0910829
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 310829Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2651
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1856
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1980
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0553
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1257
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1614
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2036
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4467
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1107
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000249
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2018
SUBJECT: HARARE CALM, RUNOFF LIKELY
REF: HARARE 247 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)
¶1. (C) Two separate sources have told us that President
Robert Mugabe, who appeared ready to have himself declared
the victor yesterday, backed off in the face of large support
for MDC candidate Morgan Tsvangirai and pressure from the
military and within his party. It now appears that the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will announce that
Tsvangirai has won slightly less than 50 percent of the vote
SIPDIS
and that Mugabe has won slightly over 40 percent. This would
result in a runoff to be held within 21 days. Our sources
also believe that the ZEC will announce that ZANU-PF has won
most of the parliamentary seats, but will be a minority with
candidates allied to Tsvangirai and Simba Makoni gaining the
majority share of seats.
¶2. (U) At about 6:30 am, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation began coverage of the ZEC announcing the results
of House of Assembly races. Six results were announced; the
MDC won four and ZANU-PF won two. Coverage then stopped; we
do not know when it will recommence.
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶3. (C) Harare and the rest of Zimbabwe appear calm. While
the result predicted by our sources is obviously rigged, it
should diffuse tensions that built up yesterday when it
appeared that Mugabe would steal an outright victory. We
will continue to monitor the vote as it comes in today. END
COMMENT.
MCGEE
(27 VIEWS)
