Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the government intended to amend the Electoral Act to give the Electoral Supervisory Commission the explicit responsibility for the recruitment, training and deployment of election monitors.
The ESC had overseen the accreditation of domestic and international observers but this had been on an ad hoc basis.
The amendment would require the ESC to draw domestic monitors exclusively from the ranks of civil servants rather than from personnel trained by local non-governmental organisations whose impartiality was questionable.
Chinamasa said most non-governmental organisations were partial, foreign-funded, loyal to their funders and therefore produced monitors who were partisan.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE3356, ZIMBABWE MOVES TO PROHIBIT INDEPENDENT DOMESTIC
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091154Z Nov 01
CONFIDENTIAL PTO8826
PAGE 01 HARARE 03356 141519Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 COR-01 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 A-00 ACQ-00
CIAE-00 INL-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 DS-00 EAP-00
EB-00 EUR-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 FSI-00 TEDE-00 INR-00
IO-00 JUSE-00 L-00 VCE-00 NEA-00 DCP-01 NSAE-00
OIC-02 OIG-03 IRM-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 SA-00 R-00
EPAE-00 IIP-00 SNIS-00 NISC-00 DSCC-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/007W
——————3E1E07 141519Z /02
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0251
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
AMEMBASSY OSLO
AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 003356
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y : (TEXT R/H MARGIN)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/11
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE MOVES TO PROHIBIT INDEPENDENT DOMESTIC
ELECTION MONITORS
REF: STATE 195461
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON.
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D).
1.(U) MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL, AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS
PATRICK CHINAMASA ANNOUNCED ON NOVEMBER 6 THE GOVERNMENT’S
INTENTION TO AMEND THE ELECTORAL ACT TO GIVE THE
PRESIDENTIALLY-APPOINTED ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY COMMISSION
(ESC) EXPLICIT RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND
DEPLOYMENT OF ELECTION MONITORS. THE ESC HAS OVERSEEN THE
ACCREDITATION OF DOMESTIC MONITORS AND INTERNATIONAL
OBSERVERS IN THE PAST, BUT THIS HAS BEEN AN AD HOC
ARRANGEMENT, AS NEITHER THE CONSTITUTION NOR THE ELECTORAL
ACT CURRENTLY CONTAINS REFERENCES TO ELECTION MONITORS. THE
AMENDMENT, EXPECTED TO BE TABLED ONCE PARLIAMENT RECONVENES
ON NOVEMBER 20, WILL REQUIRE THE ESC TO DRAW DOMESTIC
MONITORS EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE RANKS OF CIVIL SERVANTS. IN
THE JUNE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, MOST OF THE MORE THAT
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03356 141519Z
17,000 DOMESTIC MONITORS WERE DRAWN FROM PERSONNEL TRAINED
LOCAL NGO’S, WHOSE IMPARTIALITY, ACCORDING TO CHINAMASA, WAS
“QUESTIONABLE.” THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE SAID THAT
ARRANGEMENT “HAS BEEN DISCOVERED TO BE UNDESIRABLE,
CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT MOST NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
ARE PARTIAL, FOREIGN FUNDED, LOYAL TO THEIR FUNDERS AND
THEREFORE PRODUCE MONITORS WHO WERE PARTISAN.” CHINAMASA
PROMISED THAT INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS WOULD BE INVITED AFTER
THE DATES FOR THE ELECTION ARE ANNOUNCED (NOTE: ZANU-PF’S
ACTING POLITICAL COMMISSAR TOLD US ON NOVEMBER 8 THAT THE
ELECTION WOULD LIKELY BE HELD IN MARCH AND THAT SPECIFIC.
DATES COULD BE ANNOUNCED AS EARLY AS MID-DECEMBER, AT THE
RULING PARTY’S ANNUAL CONGRESS. END NOTE.)
¶2. (U) IN MORE BELLICOSE PUBLIC REMARKS, INFORMATION
MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO DISMISSED CONCERNS THAT THE GOZ MOVE
WOULD PREVENT CIVIL SOCIETY FROM MONITORING THE ELECTIONS.
CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS, HE SAID, HAVE NO INHERENT RIGHT TO
SERVE AS MONITORS, AS THEY ARE “DONOR CREATED AND HAVE NO
CONSTITUTIONAL STANDING.” MOYO LATER CLARIFIED THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ELECTION MONITORS AND ELECTION OBSERVERS
THE FORMER, HE SAID, SUPERVISE ELECTIONS AND HAVE THE RIGHT
TO POINT OUT AND CORRECT IRREGULARITIES THAT MIGHT OCCUR
DURING VOTING, AND THEY SHOULD BE DRAWN FROM A DOMESTIC POOL
OF IMPARTIAL ZIMBABWEANS. INTERNATIONAL MONITORS, HE
EMPHASIZED, HAVE NEVER PARTICIPATED IN ZIMBABWEAN ELECTIONS
OBSERVERS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE “NO DIFFERENT FROM
TOURISTS,” AS THEY MERELY WATCH THE PROCEEDINGS AND HAVE NO
RIGHT TO INTERVENE. ACCORDING TO MOYO, “THERE IS NO REASON
TO THINK” THAT ZIMBABWE WILL NOT INVITE INTERNATIONAL
OBSERVERS, AS IT HAS IN THE PAST, BUT HE STRESSED THAT ONLY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 03356 141519Z
ZIMBABWE’S FRIENDS WOULD RECEIVE INVITATIONS. “I DON’T THINK
THE AMERICANS WILL INVITE THE TALIBAN TO MONITOR THEIR
ELECTIONS,” HE REMARKED HELPFULLY. CHINAMASA SEPARATELY
EXPLAINED THAT, ALTHOUGH OBSERVERS WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED
INSIDE THE POLLING STATIONS, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO BRING AN
IRREGULARITIES TO THE ATTENTION OF LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS.
REACTIONS FROM CIVIL SOCIETY
—————————-
¶3. (C) EILEEN SAWYER, NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE LEGAL
RESOURCES FOUNDATION (LRF), A WELL-RESPECTED LEGAL RIGHTS
NGO, CRITICIZED THE GOZ MOVE AS A CLEAR EFFORT TO PROHIBIT
INDEPENDENT MONITORS. SHE NOTED THAT THE ESC IS A PARTISAN
BODY WHICH DOES NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES (ONLY TWO OF THE FIVE
SEATS ON THE COMMISSION ARE CURRENTLY FILLED, FOR INSTANCE)
TO OVERSEE THIS EFFORT. ACCORDING TO SAWYER, CIVIL SERVANTS
PREDOMINANTLY TEACHERS, HAVE BEEN USED AS MONITORS IN PAST
ELECTIONS, BUT THE GOZ NOW SUSPECTS THAT MOST TEACHERS HARBOR
SYMPATHIES FOR THE OPPOSITION MDC. AS A RESULT, THE
GOVERNMENT WILL NOW TAKE GREAT CARE TO ENSURE THAT MONITORS
ARE DRAWN FROM A POOL OF SYMPATHETIC “CIVIL SERVANTS,”
INCLUDING WAR VETERANS, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION
(CIO) AGENTS, AND UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN A
RECENTLY-INAUGURATED NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM
THE LRF’S CHIEF LEGAL ADVISOR HAS DETERMINED THAT THE STEPS
ANNOUNCED BY CHINAMASA WOULD NOT VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION OR
THE ELECTORAL ACT.
ZESN
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 05 HARARE 03356 141519Z
¶4. (U) THE UMBRELLA NGO ZIMBABWE ELECTION SUPPORT NETWORK
(ZESN), WHICH HAS COORDINATED THE DOMESTIC MONITORING EFFORT
IN RECENT ELECTIONS, ISSUED A PUBLIC STATEMENT OF CONCERN
AFTER CHINAMASA’S ANNOUNCEMENT. ZESN LIKENED THE MONITORING
OF ELECTIONS BY CIVIL SERVANTS TO STUDENTS GRADING THEIR OWN
EXAMS AND REITERATED PREVIOUS CALLS FOR FORMATION OF AN
INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION, WHICH IT TERMED AN
“ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS.” IN THE
MEANTIME, ZESN VOWED TO “INTENSIFY VOTER EDUCATION AND
ELECTION MONITORING WHICH IS ALREADY UNDERWAY” AND INSISTED
IT WOULD “NOT SHY AWAY FROM BOTH OUR RIGHT AND DUTY TO
OBSERVE THE COMING ELECTIONS.” IN A POINTED CONCLUDING
PARAGRAPH, ZESN OFFERED TO SHARE WITH GOVERNMENT “THE
ELECTORAL MONITORING EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES WE HAVE
PAINSTAKINGLY DEVELOPED OVER SEVERAL YEARS.”
COMMENT
——-
¶5. (C) IT IS DIFFICULT TO OFFER DEFINITIVE CONCLUSIONS AND
ANALYSES UNTIL WE SEE THE TEXT OF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION,
BUT IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO PREVENT
MONITORS IT PERCEIVES AS ANTI-ZANU-PF FROM PARTICIPATING IN
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. AS THE COMMENTS BY CHINAMASA AND
MOYO REVEAL, SENIOR GOZ OFFICIALS BELIEVE THAT A MAJORITY OF
LOCAL NGO’S ARE FRONT ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING THE
INTERESTS OF WESTERN COUNTRIES, AND ARE WORKING TO ENSURE AN
MDC VICTORY IN NEXT YEAR’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. AS A
RESULT, THE GOVERNMENT WILL ATTEMPT TO PUT IN PLACE MONITOR
SYMPATHETIC TO IT. ANOTHER EQUALLY LIKELY POSSIBILITY, IN
OUR VIEW, IS THAT THE ESC SIMPLY WILL BE UNABLE TO RECRUIT,
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 06 HARARE 03356 141519Z
TRAIN, AND ACCREDIT SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, MEANING
VERY FEW DOMESTIC MONITORS WILL BE IN PLACE ON ELECTION DAY
THE PROSPECT THAT EITHER SCENARIO WILL COME TO PASS FURTHER
DAMPENS OUR HOPE THAT NEXT YEAR’S ELECTION WILL APPROACH FR
AND FAIR. THAT SAID, IT APPEARS THAT, ALTHOUGH CIVIL SOCIETY
GROUPS SUCH AS ZESN WILL BE BARRED FROM ENTERING THE POLLING
STATIONS ON ELECTION DAYS, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO
MONITOR PREPARATIONS AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE DURING THE PRE-
ELECTION PERIOD. THEIR EXCLUSION FROM THE POLLING STATIONS
ON ELECTION DAYS WILL MAKE THE ROLE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY
AGENTS WHO ARE PERMITTED INSIDE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT.
¶6. (C) MOYO’S REMARKS PROVIDED USEFUL CLARIFICATION OF THE
GOVERNMENT’S DISTINCTION BETWEEN MONITORS AND OBSERVERS,
WHILE CHINAMASA’S COMMENTS LEAVE OPEN THE POSSIBILITY THAT
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS COULD BE INVITED AS EARLY AS MID-
DECEMBER. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT GOVERNMENT IS WORKING TO
NARROW THE LOOPHOLES FOR EFFECTIVE DOMESTIC MONITORING AND
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATION, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP PRESSING EVERY
OPPORTUNITY.
SULLIVAN
CONFIDENTIAL
>
@@@OASYS@@@
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5019
PAGE 01 HARARE 03356 01 OF 02 141418Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 COR-01 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 A-00 ACQ-00
CIAE-00 INL-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 DS-00 EAP-00
EB-00 EUR-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 FOE-00 VC-00 FSI-00
TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 JUSE-00 L-00 VCE-00 NEA-00
DCP-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OIG-03 IRM-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
SA-00 R-00 EPAE-00 IIP-00 SNIS-00 NISC-00 DSCC-00
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /007W
——————3E15D6 141418Z /07
O 091154Z NOV 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0251
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
AMEMBASSY OSLO
AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003356
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03356 01 OF 02 141418Z
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y : (TEXT R/H MARGIN)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/11
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE MOVES TO PROHIBIT INDEPENDENT DOMESTIC
ELECTION MONITORS
REF: STATE 195461
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON.
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D).
1.(U) MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL, AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS
PATRICK CHINAMASA ANNOUNCED ON NOVEMBER 6 THE GOVERNMENT’S
INTENTION TO AMEND THE ELECTORAL ACT TO GIVE THE
PRESIDENTIALLY-APPOINTED ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY COMMISSION
(ESC) EXPLICIT RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND
DEPLOYMENT OF ELECTION MONITORS. THE ESC HAS OVERSEEN THE
ACCREDITATION OF DOMESTIC MONITORS AND INTERNATIONAL
OBSERVERS IN THE PAST, BUT THIS HAS BEEN AN AD HOC
ARRANGEMENT, AS NEITHER THE CONSTITUTION NOR THE ELECTORAL
ACT CURRENTLY CONTAINS REFERENCES TO ELECTION MONITORS. THE
AMENDMENT, EXPECTED TO BE TABLED ONCE PARLIAMENT RECONVENES
ON NOVEMBER 20, WILL REQUIRE THE ESC TO DRAW DOMESTIC
MONITORS EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE RANKS OF CIVIL SERVANTS. IN
THE JUNE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, MOST OF THE MORE THAT
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03356 01 OF 02 141418Z
17,000 DOMESTIC MONITORS WERE DRAWN FROM PERSONNEL TRAINED
LOCAL NGO’S, WHOSE IMPARTIALITY, ACCORDING TO CHINAMASA, WAS
“QUESTIONABLE.” THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE SAID THAT
ARRANGEMENT “HAS BEEN DISCOVERED TO BE UNDESIRABLE,
CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT MOST NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
ARE PARTIAL, FOREIGN FUNDED, LOYAL TO THEIR FUNDERS AND
THEREFORE PRODUCE MONITORS WHO WERE PARTISAN.” CHINAMASA
PROMISED THAT INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS WOULD BE INVITED AFTER
THE DATES FOR THE ELECTION ARE ANNOUNCED (NOTE: ZANU-PF’S
ACTING POLITICAL COMMISSAR TOLD US ON NOVEMBER 8 THAT THE
ELECTION WOULD LIKELY BE HELD IN MARCH AND THAT SPECIFIC.
DATES COULD BE ANNOUNCED AS EARLY AS MID-DECEMBER, AT THE
RULING PARTY’S ANNUAL CONGRESS. END NOTE.)
¶2. (U) IN MORE BELLICOSE PUBLIC REMARKS, INFORMATION
MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO DISMISSED CONCERNS THAT THE GOZ MOVE
WOULD PREVENT CIVIL SOCIETY FROM MONITORING THE ELECTIONS.
CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS, HE SAID, HAVE NO INHERENT RIGHT TO
SERVE AS MONITORS, AS THEY ARE “DONOR CREATED AND HAVE NO
CONSTITUTIONAL STANDING.” MOYO LATER CLARIFIED THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ELECTION MONITORS AND ELECTION OBSERVERS
THE FORMER, HE SAID, SUPERVISE ELECTIONS AND HAVE THE RIGHT
TO POINT OUT AND CORRECT IRREGULARITIES THAT MIGHT OCCUR
DURING VOTING, AND THEY SHOULD BE DRAWN FROM A DOMESTIC POOL
OF IMPARTIAL ZIMBABWEANS. INTERNATIONAL MONITORS, HE
EMPHASIZED, HAVE NEVER PARTICIPATED IN ZIMBABWEAN ELECTIONS
OBSERVERS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE “NO DIFFERENT FROM
TOURISTS,” AS THEY MERELY WATCH THE PROCEEDINGS AND HAVE NO
RIGHT TO INTERVENE. ACCORDING TO MOYO, “THERE IS NO REASON
TO THINK” THAT ZIMBABWE WILL NOT INVITE INTERNATIONAL
OBSERVERS, AS IT HAS IN THE PAST, BUT HE STRESSED THAT ONLY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 03356 01 OF 02 141418Z
ZIMBABWE’S FRIENDS WOULD RECEIVE INVITATIONS. “I DON’T THINK
THE AMERICANS WILL INVITE THE TALIBAN TO MONITOR THEIR
ELECTIONS,” HE REMARKED HELPFULLY. CHINAMASA SEPARATELY
EXPLAINED THAT, ALTHOUGH OBSERVERS WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED
INSIDE THE POLLING STATIONS, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO BRING AN
IRREGULARITIES TO THE ATTENTION OF LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS.
REACTIONS FROM CIVIL SOCIETY
—————————-
¶3. (C) EILEEN SAWYER, NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE LEGAL
RESOURCES FOUNDATION (LRF), A WELL-RESPECTED LEGAL RIGHTS
NGO, CRITICIZED THE GOZ MOVE AS A CLEAR EFFORT TO PROHIBIT
INDEPENDENT MONITORS. SHE NOTED THAT THE ESC IS A PARTISAN
BODY WHICH DOES NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES (ONLY TWO OF THE FIVE
SEATS ON THE COMMISSION ARE CURRENTLY FILLED, FOR INSTANCE)
TO OVERSEE THIS EFFORT. ACCORDING TO SAWYER, CIVIL SERVANTS
PREDOMINANTLY TEACHERS, HAVE BEEN USED AS MONITORS IN PAST
ELECTIONS, BUT THE GOZ NOW SUSPECTS THAT MOST TEACHERS HARBOR
SYMPATHIES FOR THE OPPOSITION MDC. AS A RESULT, THE
GOVERNMENT WILL NOW TAKE GREAT CARE TO ENSURE THAT MONITORS
ARE DRAWN FROM A POOL OF SYMPATHETIC “CIVIL SERVANTS,”
INCLUDING WAR VETERANS, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION
(CIO) AGENTS, AND UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN A
RECENTLY-INAUGURATED NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM
THE LRF’S CHIEF LEGAL ADVISOR HAS DETERMINED THAT THE STEPS
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5025
PAGE 01 HARARE 03356 02 OF 02 141419Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 COR-01 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 A-00 ACQ-00
CIAE-00 INL-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 DS-00 EAP-00
EB-00 EUR-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 FOE-00 VC-00 FSI-00
TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 JUSE-00 L-00 VCE-00 NEA-00
DCP-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OIG-03 IRM-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
SA-00 R-00 EPAE-00 IIP-00 SNIS-00 NISC-00 DSCC-00
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /007W
——————3E15F6 141419Z /07
O 091154Z NOV 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0252
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
AMEMBASSY OSLO
AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003356
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03356 02 OF 02 141419Z
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (TEXT R/H MARGIN)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/11
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE MOVES TO PROHIBIT INDEPENDENT DOMESTIC
ELECTION MONITORS
ANNOUNCED BY CHINAMASA WOULD NOT VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION OR
THE ELECTORAL ACT.
ZESN
¶4. (U) THE UMBRELLA NGO ZIMBABWE ELECTION SUPPORT NETWORK
(ZESN), WHICH HAS COORDINATED THE DOMESTIC MONITORING EFFORT
IN RECENT ELECTIONS, ISSUED A PUBLIC STATEMENT OF CONCERN
AFTER CHINAMASA’S ANNOUNCEMENT. ZESN LIKENED THE MONITORING
OF ELECTIONS BY CIVIL SERVANTS TO STUDENTS GRADING THEIR OWN
EXAMS AND REITERATED PREVIOUS CALLS FOR FORMATION OF AN
INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION, WHICH IT TERMED AN
“ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS.” IN THE
MEANTIME, ZESN VOWED TO “INTENSIFY VOTER EDUCATION AND
ELECTION MONITORING WHICH IS ALREADY UNDERWAY” AND INSISTED
IT WOULD “NOT SHY AWAY FROM BOTH OUR RIGHT AND DUTY TO
OBSERVE THE COMING ELECTIONS.” IN A POINTED CONCLUDING
PARAGRAPH, ZESN OFFERED TO SHARE WITH GOVERNMENT “THE
ELECTORAL MONITORING EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES WE HAVE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03356 02 OF 02 141419Z
PAINSTAKINGLY DEVELOPED OVER SEVERAL YEARS.”
COMMENT
——-
¶5. (C) IT IS DIFFICULT TO OFFER DEFINITIVE CONCLUSIONS AND
ANALYSES UNTIL WE SEE THE TEXT OF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION,
BUT IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO PREVENT
MONITORS IT PERCEIVES AS ANTI-ZANU-PF FROM PARTICIPATING IN
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. AS THE COMMENTS BY CHINAMASA AND
MOYO REVEAL, SENIOR GOZ OFFICIALS BELIEVE THAT A MAJORITY OF
LOCAL NGO’S ARE FRONT ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING THE
INTERESTS OF WESTERN COUNTRIES, AND ARE WORKING TO ENSURE AN
MDC VICTORY IN NEXT YEAR’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. AS A
RESULT, THE GOVERNMENT WILL ATTEMPT TO PUT IN PLACE MONITOR
SYMPATHETIC TO IT. ANOTHER EQUALLY LIKELY POSSIBILITY, IN
OUR VIEW, IS THAT THE ESC SIMPLY WILL BE UNABLE TO RECRUIT,
TRAIN, AND ACCREDIT SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, MEANING
VERY FEW DOMESTIC MONITORS WILL BE IN PLACE ON ELECTION DAY
THE PROSPECT THAT EITHER SCENARIO WILL COME TO PASS FURTHER
DAMPENS OUR HOPE THAT NEXT YEAR’S ELECTION WILL APPROACH FR
AND FAIR. THAT SAID, IT APPEARS THAT, ALTHOUGH CIVIL SOCIETY
GROUPS SUCH AS ZESN WILL BE BARRED FROM ENTERING THE POLLING
STATIONS ON ELECTION DAYS, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO
MONITOR PREPARATIONS AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE DURING THE PRE-
ELECTION PERIOD. THEIR EXCLUSION FROM THE POLLING STATIONS
ON ELECTION DAYS WILL MAKE THE ROLE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY
AGENTS WHO ARE PERMITTED INSIDE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT.
¶6. (C) MOYO’S REMARKS PROVIDED USEFUL CLARIFICATION OF THE
GOVERNMENT’S DISTINCTION BETWEEN MONITORS AND OBSERVERS,
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 03356 02 OF 02 141419Z
WHILE CHINAMASA’S COMMENTS LEAVE OPEN THE POSSIBILITY THAT
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS COULD BE INVITED AS EARLY AS MID-
DECEMBER. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT GOVERNMENT IS WORKING TO
NARROW THE LOOPHOLES FOR EFFECTIVE DOMESTIC MONITORING AND
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATION, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP PRESSING EVERY
OPPORTUNITY.
SULLIVAN
CONFIDENTIAL
>
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