Categories: Stories

Gula-Ndebele and Welshman Ncube are cousins

Former attorney-general and chairman of the Electoral Supervisory Commission Sobusa Gula-Ndebele told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan that Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Welshman Ncube was his cousin and used to work for his law firm.

He was explaining to the ambassador that he had no problem with working with politicians from any of the political parties and maintained good relations with them.

Political parties were, however, excluded from membership of the ESC.

Gula-Ndebele and Sullivan were discussing ways to improve the electoral system in the country.

Sullivan told Gula-Ndebele that the United States was not seeking to instruct Zimbabwe on how to run its elections but it had taken a keen interest in the election process and was greatly concerned about the impact of ongoing violence and intimidation which it had repeatedly told the government to address.

 

Full cable:

 

Viewing cable 01HARARE3630, AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ELECTION WITH ELECTORAL

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Reference ID

Created

Released

Classification

Origin

01HARARE3630

2001-12-04 14:37

2011-08-30 01:44

CONFIDENTIAL

Embassy Harare

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

 

041437Z Dec 01

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4752

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 03630 01 OF 04 041529Z

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FBIE-00 VC-00   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   LAB-01   L-00

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PC-01   PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   TRSE-00

USIE-00 EPAE-00 IIP-00   PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00

NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00   /008W

——————46CEF2 041529Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0460

INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

AMEMBASSY OSLO

AMEMBASSY CANBERRA

AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM

AMEMBASSY KINGSTON

AMEMBASSY ABUJA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HARARE 003630

 

SIPDIS

 

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER — PLEASE PASS TO A/S KANSTEINER

 

E.O. 12958: DECL. 12/04/11

TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ELECTION WITH ELECTORAL

SUPERVISORY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN

 

 

CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON.

REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D).

 

SUMMARY

——-

 

1. (C) ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY COMMISSION (ESC) CHAIRMAN

SOBUSA GULA-NDEBELE TOLD THE AMBASSADOR ON NOVEMBER 29 THAT

THE CONSTITUTION AND ZIMBABWEAN LAW ARE VAGUE ABOUT THE

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ESC AND THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL FOR

ELECTIONS, AND ACKNOWLEDGED PREVIOUS DIFFICULTIES BETWEEN

THE TWO ELECTORAL BODIES. HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT’S

PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ELECTORAL ACT WOULD REQUIRE THAT

DOMESTIC MONITORS BE DRAWN EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE RANKS OF

CIVIL SERVANTS AND THAT NGO’S WOULD BE ABLE TO CONDUCT

VOTER EDUCATION, BUT WOULD HAVE TO REGISTER WITH, AND HAVE

THEIR MATERIALS CLEARED BY, THE ESC. GULA-NDEBELE LAMENTED

THE LOW TURNOUT IN THE CURRENT VOTER REGISTRATION PROCESS,

SAYING IT REFLECTED BOTH POLITICAL APATHY AND A LACK OF

VOTER EDUCATION.   HE ADVOCATED FORMATION OF A FULL-FLEDGED

ELECTORAL COMMISSION RATHER THAN A SUPERVISORY BODY, BUT

POINTED OUT THAT SOME IN THE GOZ AND LEGAL COMMUNITY

BELIEVE THIS CANNOT BE DONE WITHOUT CONSTITUTIONAL OR LEGAL

CHANGES. GULA-NDEBELE AGREED THAT POLITICAL PARTIES SHOULD

BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THE WORK OF THE ESC AND NOTED

THAT HE MAINTAINED GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH ZANU-PF AND THE

MDC.   END SUMMARY.

 

U.S. INTEREST

————-

 

2. (C) IN A NOVEMBER 29 MEETING WITH ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY

COMMISSION CHAIRMAN SOBUSA GULA-NDEBELE, THE AMBASSADOR

SAID THE UNITED STATES IS NOT SEEKING TO INSTRUCT ZIMBABWE

ON HOW TO RUN ELECTIONS. WE HAVE, HOWEVER, TAKEN A

SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN THE ELECTION PROCESS, ABOUT WHICH

WE WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO RENDER OUR JUDGMENT. WE ARE

GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF ONGOING VIOLENCE AND

INTIMIDATION, WHICH WE HAVE REPEATEDLY URGED THE GOZ TO

ADDRESS. THE ELECTORAL NORMS AND STANDARDS ENDORSED BY THE

SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM IN MARCH 2001 PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT

FRAMEWORK FOR THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS. THERE IS TIME FOR

THE GOZ TO REVERSE COURSE AND IMPROVE THE ELECTION PROCESS.

IF THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH THE USG CAN BE HELPFUL, WE WOULD

LIKE TO DO WHAT WE CAN. THE AMBASSADOR SOLICITED GULA-

NDEBELE’S ASSESSMENT OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS TO DATE AND

HOW IT WOULD UNFOLD IN THE RUN-UP TO NEXT YEAR’S

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

 

3. (C) GULA-NDEBELE ASKED WHAT SPECIFICALLY THE AMBASSADOR

MEANT WHEN HE SAID THE PROCESS NEEDED TO BE IMPROVED — WAS

HE REFERRING TO THE TECHNICAL ARRANGEMENTS OR THE GENERAL

POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT? THE ENVIRONMENT IS OUR BIGGEST

CONCERN, THE AMBASSADOR REPLIED, BUT WE ALSO HAVE CONCERNS

ABOUT SOME OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ELECTORAL ACT.

ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN A TEXT, THEY APPEAR DESIGNED

TO DISENFRANCHISE LARGE NUMBERS OF VOTERS.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 03630 01 OF 04 041529Z

 

ROLE OF ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY COMMISSION

—————————————-

 

4. (C) GULA-NDEBELE NOTED THAT THE CONSTITUTION CONFERS A

VAGUE SUPERVISORY ROLE ON THE ESC, CHARGING IT WITH

SUPERVISING, NOT RUNNING, VOTER REGISTRATION AND THE

CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS. THE ELECTORAL ACT DOES NOT PROVIDE

MUCH CLARIFICATION, WITH LITTLE MORE THAN VAGUE STATEMENTS

REGARDING THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE ESC AND THE REGISTRAR-

GENERAL OF ELECTIONS. IT ALSO STATES THAT THE REGISTRAR-

GENERAL “SHALL,” WHICH GULA-NDEBELE INTERPRETS TO MEAN

“MUST,” TAKE INTO ACCOUNT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ESC.

ASKED WHAT AVENUES ARE OPEN TO THE COMMISSION IF IT

DISAPPROVES OF ACTIONS BY THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, GULA-

NDEBELE SAID THE ESC MAKES ITS VIEWS KNOWN TO THE R-G.

THE ESC CHAIRMAN ACKNOWLEDGED DIFFICULTIES IN THE

RELATIONSHIP, NOTING “SOME GLITCHES” OVER ACCREDITATION OF

MONITORS DURING THE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.

 

MONITORS/OBSERVERS

——————

 

5. (C) THE ESC CHAIRMAN SAID HE HAD NOT SEEN THE LATEST

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4753

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 03630 02 OF 04 041529Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00

WHA-00   SRPP-00 DS-00   EAP-00   EB-00   EUR-00   FAAE-00

FBIE-00 VC-00   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   LAB-01   L-00

VCE-00   M-00     AC-01   NSAE-00 OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00

PC-01   PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   TRSE-00

USIE-00 EPAE-00 IIP-00   PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00

NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00   /008W

——————46CF04 041529Z /38

P 041437Z DEC 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0461

INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

AMEMBASSY OSLO

AMEMBASSY CANBERRA

AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM

AMEMBASSY KINGSTON

AMEMBASSY ABUJA

 

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 04 HARARE 003630

 

SIPDIS

 

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER — PLEASE PASS TO A/S KANSTEINER

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 03630 02 OF 04 041529Z

E.O. 12958: DECL. 12/04/11

TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ELECTION WITH ELECTORAL

SUPERVISORY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN

 

DRAFT OF THE GOZ’S PROPOSED ELECTORAL ACT AMENDMENTS, BUT

THAT HE HAD PROVIDED HIS COMMENTS ON AN EARLIER VERSION.

HE BELIEVED THE LEGISLATION WOULD ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR

VOTER EDUCATION, AND THE PARTICIPATION OF DOMESTIC MONITORS

AND INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS. THE PROVISION ON MONITORS IS

THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL, GULA-NDEBELE ACKNOWLEDGED. THE

GOZ, HE SAID, PLANS TO REQUIRE THAT DOMESTIC MONITORS BE

DRAWN FROM EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE RANKS OF CIVIL SERVANTS —

A COURSE OF ACTION THE ESC HAD NOT RECOMMENDED. HE DID NOT

OBJECT TO THIS IN PRINCIPLE, AS IT WAS A GOOD THING TO

CREATE A POOL OF TRAINED PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE AND

EXPERTISE. HE WAS CONCERNED, HOWEVER, ABOUT THE PLAN’S

FEASIBILITY. THE ESC, HE SAID, HAS NORMALLY ASSIGNED FOUR

MONITORS TO EACH OF APPROXIMATELY 4,000 POLLING STATIONS,

TOTALING 16,000 MONITORS. HE QUESTIONED WHETHER SO MANY

CIVIL SERVANTS COULD BE AWAY FROM THEIR JOBS FOR THE TIME

REQUIRED WITHOUT THEIR ABSENCES HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON

THE FUNCTIONING OF GOVERNMENT.   HE ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN

ABOUT THE WIDESPREAD PERCEPTION THAT CIVIL SERVANTS ARE

OVERWHELMINGLY ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS. THEY ARE NOT, HE

INSISTED, NOTING THE STRONG UNIONISM PREVAILING WITHIN THE

CIVIL SERVICE AND THE NUMEROUS CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN CIVIL

SERVANTS AND THE GOZ SINCE 1990, BUT HE DECLARED THAT

SOMETIMES PERCEPTION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN REALITY.

 

6. (C) IN THE JUNE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, GULA-

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 03630 02 OF 04 041529Z

NDEBELE SAID, A LOOSE ARRANGEMENT OF CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS

PROVIDED DOMESTIC MONITORS FOR AN ESC-SUPERVISED MONITORING

EFFORT. ALTHOUGH NGOS LIKELY WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO

SERVE AS “MONITORS” THIS TIME, THEY WOULD BE PERMITTED TO

ACT AS “OBSERVERS.” ASKED TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE, GULA-

NDEBELE SAID MONITORS ARE AN ARM OF THE ESC AND CAN

INTERVENE IN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS TO POINT OUT

IRREGULARITIES. OBSERVERS, ON THE OTHER HAND, REMAIN

OUTSIDE THE POLLING STATIONS BUT CAN POINT OUT ANY

IRREGULARITIES THEY OBSERVE TO THE ESC OR LOCAL

CONSTITUENCY REGISTRAR.

 

7. (C) GULA-NDEBELE SAID THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE (MOJ) HAS

ACCEPTED AN ESC RECOMMENDATION THAT INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER

GROUPS BE PERMITTED TO OBSERVE BOTH THE PRE-ELECTORAL

ENVIRONMENT AND THE VOTING DAYS THEMSELVES. HE IS ALSO

RECOMMENDING THAT ACCREDITED INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS BE

ALLOWED TO ENTER VOTING PLACES TO OBSERVE. “WE THINK WE

HAVE A GOOD TECHNICAL SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR RUNNING ELECTIONS

AND WE’D LIKE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS TO SEE IT,” GULA-

NDEBELE SAID. ASKED HOW LONG IN ADVANCE INTERNATIONAL

OBSERVER GROUPS WOULD BE PERMITTED ON THE GROUND, GULA-

NDEBELE DESCRIBED THAT ISSUE AS “VERY TRICKY,” BUT BELIEVED

BOTH MONITORS AND OBSERVERS SHOULD BE DEPLOYED AS SOON AS

THE ELECTION DATES ARE ANNOUNCED, AND REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL

3-5 DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION.

 

VOTER EDUCATION

—————

 

8. (C) GULA-NDEBELE TOLD US HE HAD ALSO RECOMMENDED TO THE

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 03630 02 OF 04 041529Z

MOJ ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONWIDE, COORDINATED VOTER

EDUCATION PROGRAM ORGANIZED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE ESC. WE

WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING, GULA-

NDEBELE INSISTED, AND THAT NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE DO TO THEM

OUTSIDE THE POLLING CENTER, THEY CANNOT BE INFLUENCED OR

INTIMIDATED ONCE THEY GO INSIDE TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS.

VOTER EDUCATION, HE ASSERTED, IS CRUCIAL IN EMPOWERING

PEOPLE, SO LONG AS IT IS DONE IN A “COORDINATED FASHION.”

HE SAID NGOS WILL BE ALLOWED TO CONDUCT VOTER EDUCATION,

BUT THEY FIRST WILL HAVE TO REGISTER WITH THE ESC AND CLEAR

WITH THE ELECTORAL BODY THE MATERIALS THEY PLAN TO USE.

SUCH AN APPROACH, GULA-NDEBELE SAID, ALLOWS THE ESC TO

ENSURE THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS COVERED AND ENSURE THAT THE

INFORMATION CONVEYED TO VOTERS IS CONSISTENT, UNIFORM, AND

NON-PARTISAN. THE ESC CHAIRMAN DID NOT LIKE THE IDEA OF

ALLOWING POLITICAL PARTIES TO CONDUCT VOTER EDUCATION —

BECAUSE IT CONVEYS THE WRONG IMPRESSION OF WHAT VOTER

EDUCATION SHOULD BE ABOUT — BUT MANY IN THE GOZ, HE SAID,

BELIEVE POLITICAL PARTIES CANNOT BE STOPPED FROM DOING IT,

AND THAT, THEREFORE, IT SHOULD BE AUTHORIZED.

 

VOTER REGISTRATION

——————

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4757

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 03630 03 OF 04 041530Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00

WHA-00   SRPP-00 DS-00   EAP-00   EB-00   EUR-00   FAAE-00

FBIE-00 VC-00   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   LAB-01   L-00

VCE-00   M-00     AC-01   NSAE-00 OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00

PC-01   PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   TRSE-00

USIE-00 EPAE-00 IIP-00   PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00

NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00   /008W

——————46CF14 041530Z /38

P 041437Z DEC 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0462

INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

AMEMBASSY OSLO

AMEMBASSY CANBERRA

AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM

AMEMBASSY KINGSTON

AMEMBASSY ABUJA

 

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 04 HARARE 003630

 

SIPDIS

 

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER — PLEASE PASS TO A/S KANSTEINER

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 03630 03 OF 04 041530Z

E.O. 12958: DECL. 12/04/11

TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ELECTION WITH ELECTORAL

SUPERVISORY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN

 

9. (C) THE AMBASSADOR INQUIRED ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF THE

CURRENT MOBILE VOTER REGISTRATION PROCESS. GULA-NDEBELE

EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT AT THE LOW TURNOUT SO FAR, AND

LAMENTED THAT MANY PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE THEY NEED TO

REGISTER. ASKED WHETHER THERE ARE ANY REMEDIES, GULA-

NDEBELE REPLIED, “YES, BETTER VOTER EDUCATION EFFORTS.” IN

A SURPRISING ADMISSION, THE ESC CHAIRMAN SAID HE HAD NEVER

BEFORE VOTED, BOTH BECAUSE HE HAS NEVER BEEN ENTHUSIASTIC

ABOUT HIS CHOICE OF CANDIDATES AND BECAUSE HE DOES NOT

PLACE MUCH CONFIDENCE IN POLITICIANS. THAT KIND OF APATHY

IS COMMON IN ZIMBABWE, HE CONTINUED, AND IS EXACERBATED BY

THE WIDESPREAD PERCEPTION THAT THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM CAN BE

MANIPULATED. SINCE STATUTE REQUIRES THAT THE REGISTRATION

PERIOD CONCLUDE WITHIN A SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME PRIOR TO

THE ELECTION, AND SINCE ELECTION DATES HAVE NOT YET BEEN

ANNOUNCED, GULA-NDEBELE THOUGHT IT INEVITABLE THAT THE

REGISTRATION PERIOD WOULD HAVE TO BE EXTENDED BEYOND THE

CURRENT MID-DECEMBER DEADLINE.

 

10. (C) THE AMBASSADOR INFORMED GULA-NDEBELE HE HAD HEARD

COMPLAINTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY REGISTERING.

THE ESC CHAIRMAN COMMENTED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED

IF THOSE REPORTS ARE TRUE, AS HE HAS LONG FOUND CIVIL

SERVANTS RIGID — “LUNCHTIME IS LUNCHTIME” TO THEM — AND

VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH. HE SAID THE REGISTRAR-

GENERAL’S OFFICE HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTING ON SUCH

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 03630 03 OF 04 041530Z

COMPLAINTS, BUT HE ADVISED PEOPLE FACING DIFFICULTIES TO

NOTIFY THE MEDIA. CIVIL SERVANTS, HE SAID, DO NOT LIKE

BEING BLAMED, AND PARTICULARLY DISLIKE PRESS COVERAGE OF

THEIR MISDEEDS. (NOTE: HIGH COURT JUDGE ANN GOORA

SUBSEQUENTLY ORDERED THE GOVERNMENT, ON DECEMBER 3, TO

RELAX THE STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS IMPOSED ON THOSE WISHING

TO REGISTER. HER RULING WAS ISSUED IN A LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY

THE MDC CHALLENGING THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL’S INSISTENCE THAT

INDIVIDUALS SUBMIT PROOF OF PROPERTY OWNERSHIP IN ORDER TO

REGISTER. END NOTE.)

 

INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION?

———————————

 

11. (C) ONE WAY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THEY HAD

DISCUSSED, GULA-NDEBELE SUGGESTED, WAS TO ESTABLISH A

GENUINE ELECTORAL COMMISSION, IN THE MODEL OF OTHER SADC

COUNTRIES INSTEAD OF A BODY WHICH PLAYED ONLY AN

SUPERVISORY ROLE. HE NOTED THAT ESC MEMBERSHIP IS A “PART-

TIME JOB” — HE EARNS HIS LIVING BY RUNNING HIS OWN FIVE-

ATTORNEY LAW PRACTICE — AND LAMENTED THAT ONLY FOUR OF THE

FIVE ESC SEATS ARE CURRENTLY FILLED. WAS ESTABLISHMENT OF

AN ELECTORAL COMMISSION POSSIBLE BEFORE NEXT YEAR’S

ELECTION, THE AMBASSADOR ASKED?   THERE IS DISAGREEMENT

WITHIN THE GOZ AND LEGAL COMMUNITY ON THIS POINT, GULA-

NDEBELE REPLIED. HE PERSONALLY THOUGHT SUCH A STEP WOULD

BE CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENT CONSTITUTION, WHILE OTHERS

THOUGHT CONSTITUTIONAL AND/OR LEGAL CHANGES WOULD BE

REQUIRED FIRST.

 

12. (C) THE AMBASSADOR NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF CITIZENS

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 03630 03 OF 04 041530Z

HAVING CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ELECTORAL AUTHORITIES. ONE

APPROACH TAKEN IN SOME COUNTRIES IS TO ALLOW THE

PARTICIPATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES ON ELECTORAL

COMMISSIONS, SOMETIMES AS NON-VOTING MEMBERS. WAS THIS

POSSIBLE IN ZIMBABWE? GULA-NDEBELE REPLIED THAT, ALTHOUGH

POLITICAL PARTIES ARE EXCLUDED FROM MEMBERSHIP ON THE ESC,

HE DID NOT SEE WHY THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE

INPUT. HE NOTED THAT HE MAINTAINED GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH

SENIOR OFFICIALS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CURRENT ZIMBABWEAN

POLITICAL DIVIDE. MDC SECRETARY-GENERAL WELSHMAN NCUBE,

FOR INSTANCE, IS HIS COUSIN AND USED TO WORK IN HIS LAW

FIRM.

 

COMMENT

——-

 

13. (C) GULA-NDEBELE IS BRIGHT AND THOUGHTFUL, AND APPEARS

GENUINELY INTERESTED IN STRENGTHENING THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM

FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL ZIMBABWEANS, NOT JUST THOSE FROM THE

RULING PARTY. WE WERE ENCOURAGED BY HIS OPENNESS ON A

NUMBER OF KEY ISSUES, INCLUDING HIS WILLINGNESS TO WORK

WITH THE MDC AND HIS EMPHASIS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTER

EDUCATION, INCLUDING THE NEED FOR INVOLVEMENT OF NGO’S.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE ESC HAS, IN RECENT YEARS, BEEN

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4758

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 03630 04 OF 04 041530Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00

WHA-00   SRPP-00 DS-00   EAP-00   EB-00   EUR-00   FAAE-00

FBIE-00 VC-00   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   LAB-01   L-00

VCE-00   M-00     AC-01   NSAE-00 OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00

PC-01   PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   TRSE-00

USIE-00 EPAE-00 IIP-00   PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00

NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00   /008W

——————46CF1C 041530Z /38

P 041437Z DEC 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0463

INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

AMEMBASSY OSLO

AMEMBASSY CANBERRA

AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM

AMEMBASSY KINGSTON

AMEMBASSY ABUJA

 

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 04 OF 04 HARARE 003630

 

SIPDIS

 

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER — PLEASE PASS TO A/S KANSTEINER

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 03630 04 OF 04 041530Z

E.O. 12958: DECL. 12/04/11

TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ELECTION WITH ELECTORAL

SUPERVISORY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN

 

RELEGATED TO THE MARGINS OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS — ITS

PRINCIPAL FUNCTION IN THE JUNE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION

AND SUBSEQUENT BY-ELECTIONS HAS BEEN TO ACCREDIT MONITORS

AND OBSERVERS. IT IS THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL (TOBAIWA

MUDEDE), CONSIDERED BY MANY OBSERVERS TO BE FIRMLY IN THE

ZANU-PF CAMP, WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN PREDOMINANT AUTHORITY FOR

RUNNING ELECTIONS. WE ARE SEEKING A MEETING WITH MUDEDE TO

PRESS THE SAME ELECTION-RELATED ISSUES. EVEN IF HE GIVES

US AN APPOINTMENT (HE HAS TO DATE DECLINED TO MEET WITH

MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY), WE ARE NOT OPTIMISTIC

THAT OUR DISCUSSION WITH HIM WOULD BE AS CONSTRUCTIVE.

 

SULLIVAN

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

>

 

(37 VIEWS)

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

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