Mugabe is a hindrance to change

President Robert Mugabe was a stumbling block to any change but increased calls for his resignation could have the unintended effect of strengthening his resolve to stay in power, a United States research institute said way back in 2003.

A report by the United States Institute for Peace quoted by the local weekly, the Zimbabwe Independent, reportedly said that a negotiated political settlement between the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the Movement for Democratic Change offered Zimbabwe the most credible chance for a resolution of the country’s crisis.

The report urged the international community to maintain pressure on the government of Zimbabwe saying though ZANU-PF was still in control it was not able to rescue the country from the crisis but at the same time though the MDC had widespread support of the people it had no capacity to impose itself in power.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 03HARARE1732, MEDIA REACTION PAPER REBUTS “HERALD” STORY; HARARE

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

UNCLAS HARARE 001732

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS

NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION PAPER REBUTS “HERALD” STORY; HARARE

¶1.   The August 29 edition of the independent weekly the

“Zimbabwe Independent” carried an article rebutting

a front-page article in the August 28 edition of the

government-controlled daily “The Herald” that

deliberately mis-reported and quoted out of context

a most recent United States Institute of Peace

report on the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Under headline “U. S. Institute urges sustained

pressure” the newspaper carried the following

article by Dumisani Muleya on page 2:

¶2.   “A negotiated political settlement between ZANU PF and

the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) offers

Zimbabwe the most credible chance for a resolution of the

current crisis, U. S. research institute has said. But it

urged the international community to maintain pressure on

Harare. . .It said the balance of political forces at the

moment made the environment for crisis talks ideal.

Although ZANU PF is still in control through the use of

force, it is not able to rescue the country from the crisis

on its own. As for the MDC, it has widespread support of

the people but has no capacity to impose itself on power. .

.The report noted that President Robert Mugabe was a

hindrance to change. `There is a growing consensus that

Mugabe is the stumbling block to constructive dialogue,

although increased calls for his resignation may have the

unintended effect of strengthening his resolve to stay in

power,’ it said. . . .”

SULLIVAN

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