Daily News says it is dangerous to let Zimbabwe off the hook

The Daily News said it was dangerous for the Commonwealth not to expel Zimbabwe from the organisation because this emboldened the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front into cockiness that might translate into an escalation of violence against the opposition.

The paper said the decision could force ZANU-PF to show its true intentions.

If the party was being honest with the European Union and the Commonwealth, then violence against the opposition should end.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE303, MEDIA REPORT — COMMONWEALTH ACTIONS ON

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

041458Z Feb 02

UNCLASSIFIED     PTO7013

PAGE 01       HARARE 00303 041512Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   A-00     ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DODE-00 DS-00

EUR-00   UTED-00 VC-00   TEDE-00 INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00

NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 IIP-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02

NFAT-00 SAS-00     /003W

——————61B3F8 041513Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0861

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000303

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/RA FOR

SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT — COMMONWEALTH ACTIONS ON

ZIMBABWE; HARARE

¶1.   UNDER HEADLINE “DANGEROUS TO LET ZIMBABWE OFF THE

HOOK AT THIS STAGE,” THE INDEPENDENT DAILY “THE DAILY

NEWS” DEDICATED ITS FEBRUARY 1 EDITORIAL TO CAUTIONING

THE COMMONWEALTH ABOUT ITS DECISION NOT TO EXPEL

ZIMBABWE FROM THE ORGANIZATION. EXCERPTS FOLLOW:

¶2.   “. . . AT ONE LEVEL, THE CMAG DECISION TO HOLD OFF

THE SUSPENSION COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS, EMBOLDENING

ZANU PF INTO A COCKINESS THAT MIGHT TRANSLATE INTO THE

ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST THE OPPOSITION AND OTHER

DETRACTORS. AT ANOTHER LEVEL, THE DECISION COULD FORCE

ZANU PF TO SHOW ITS TRUE INTENTIONS. IF THE PARTY IS

BEING HONEST WITH THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE EUROPEAN

UNION (EU), THEN THE VIOLENCE AGAINST THE OPPOSITION

SHOULD END IMMEDIATELY. IF IT DOESN’T END, THEN

EVERYBODY, EVEN THE NIGERIANS AND THE SOUTH AFRICANS IN

THE COMMONWEALTH. . .MUST KNOW THAT MUGABE HAS ONCE

AGAIN PULLED THE WOOL OVER THEIR EYES. THE BOTTOM LINE

FOR THIS FLURRY OF ACTIVITY IS THAT THE PRESIDENTIAL

ELECTION SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY FREE AND FAIR. . . .”

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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