Categories: Stories

Mugabe pulls the most fraudulent poll in the 21st century

President Robert Mugabe pulled probably the most fraudulent poll in the 21st century when he won the 2002 presidential elections beating Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai by 427 000 votes, according to the Daily News.

“President Mugabe has managed to achieve what to everybody looked an impossibility: hanging on to power when all indications were that nearly everyone, including many of those in the inner circle of his party, wanted him to go,” the paper said two days after the release of the results.

“It was an unspoken national consensus that the man had become an unsustainable liability to the country and should have no further business running the affairs of state.”

 

Full cable:


Viewing cable 02HARARE689, MEDIA REACTION MUGABE WINS POLL; HARARE

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Reference ID

Created

Released

Classification

Origin

02HARARE689

2002-03-15 09:25

2011-08-30 01:44

UNCLASSIFIED

Embassy Harare

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

 

150925Z Mar 02

 

 

UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ6410

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 00689 01 OF 02 150936Z

ACTION INR-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AF-00   A-00     ACQ-00   CIAE-00 INL-00

USNW-00 DODE-00 DS-00   EUR-00   UTED-00 VC-00   TEDE-00

IO-00   LAB-01   VCE-00   NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00

IIP-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   NFAT-00 SAS-00     /003W

——————7518A1 150936Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1226

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000689

 

SIPDIS

 

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

SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI

FRAZER

 

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION MUGABE WINS POLL; HARARE

 

 

1.   EDITORIALS IN THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED AND THE

UNCLASSIFIED

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 00689 01 OF 02 150936Z

PRIVATE NEWSPAPERS REMAIN SHARPLY DIVIDED ABOUT

PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE’S VICTORY IN THE JUST-ENDED

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN ZIMBABWE. WHILE THE

INDEPENDENT PRESS CHARACTERIZES MUGABE’S VICTORY AS

“STOLEN,” THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED MEDIA TRUMPETS

HIS WIN AS “A TRIUMPH FOR DEMOCRACY.” EDITORIAL

EXCERPTS FOLLOW:

 

2.   UNDER HEADLINE “ELECTION RESULT FLIES IN THE FACE

OF CIVILIZATION,” THE INDEPENDENT DAILY “THE DAILY

NEWS” (03/15) COMMENTS:

 

“PRESIDENT MUGABE HAS MANAGED TO ACHIEVE WHAT TO

EVERYBODY LOOKED AN IMPOSSIBILITY: HANGING ON TO

POWER WHEN ALL INDICATIONS WERE THAT NEARLY

EVERYONE, INCLUDING MANY OF THOSE IN THE INNER

CIRCLE OF HIS PARTY, WANTED HIM TO GO. IT WAS AN

UNSPOKEN NATIONAL CONSENSUS THAT THE MAN HAD BECOME

AN UNSUSTAINABLE LIABILITY TO THE COUNTRY AND

SHOULD HAVE NO FURTHER BUSINESS RUNNING THE AFFAIRS

OF STATE. IT IS. . .A VERY SAD COMMENTARY ON A MAN

WHO ROSE TO POLITICAL PROMINENCE ON THE BASIS OF

HIS UNCOMPROMISING ADVOCACY FOR UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE

TO BE SEEN TO HAVE DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO DENY

HIS FELLOW CITIZENS THAT VERY RIGHT AS THE ONLY WAY

OF ENSURING HE HANGS ON TO POWER AGAINST THE WILL

OF HIS COMPATRIOTS. . . THIS ELECTION IS LIKELY TO

GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS PROBABLY THE MOST FRAUDULENT

POLL IN THE 21ST CENTURY.”

 

3.   “UNDER HEADLINE “OVER 1,2 M ZIMBABWEANS REFUSE TO

UNCLASSIFIED

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 00689 01 OF 02 150936Z

BE COERCED,” THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY “ZIMBABWE

INDEPENDENT” (03/15) COMMENTS:

 

“‘YOU WON THE ELECTION, BUT I WON THE COUNT,’

FORMER NICARAGUAN DICTATOR ANASTASIO SOMOZA IS

REPORTED AS HAVING ONCE BOASTED. THAT WOULD BE AN

APT VIEW OF PRESIDENT MUGABE’S TRANSPARENTLY STOLEN

‘VICTORY’ IN LAST WEEKEND’S PRESIDENTIAL POLL. . .

MEANWHILE, 1,2 MILLION ZIMBABWEANS HAVE DECLARED

THEY WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED OR COERCED AND THAT

THEY WON’T ACCEPT MUGABE’S VIOLENT LAND SEIZURES.

WE SALUTE THOSE BRAVE PEOPLE.”

 

4.   UNDER HEADLINE “A TRIUMPH FOR DEMOCRACY,” THE

GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY “THE HERALD” (03/15)

COMMENTS:

AS EXPECTED ZANU PF CANDIDATE ROBERT MUGABE ROMPED

HOME TO VICTORY WITH A MASSIVE VOTE. THAT THE ZANU

PF CANDIDATE WON THE PRESIDENCY AND THAT THE

SITUATION IS CALM, IS SOMETHING WHICH IS NOT GOING

DOWN WELL IN CERTAIN QUARTERS OF THE WESTERN WORLD.

ZIMBABWE IS SUPPOSED TO BE EXPERIENCING A BLOODBATH

THIS VERY HOUR BECAUSE THE VOTE WAS ‘STOLEN’ FROM

THE MDC. THE VOTE IS VIEWED AS A ‘FRAUD.’ THE MDC

SHOULD HAVE WON, COME WHAT MAY!

. . .WE HAVE SAID IN THE PAST THAT THIS WAS THE

TIME FOR AFRICA TO MAKE A FINAL STAND ON ITS

POLITICAL PROCESSES. AFRICANS MUST OBSERVE AND

PASS JUDGEMENT ON THEIR OWN ELECTIONS AND NOT

ANYONE ELSE FROM OUTSIDE THE CONTINENT. . . LET US

SHOW THE WORLD THAT WE CAN MANAGE OUR OWN AFFAIRS.”

UNCLASSIFIED

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 00689 01 OF 02 150936Z

 

5.   UNDER HEADLINE “ZIMBABWEANS SHAME DETRACTORS,”

THE

BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY

“CHRONICLE” (03/15) COMMENTS:

 

“WE ARE HUMBLED BY THE MATURITY OF ZIMBABWEANS WHO

HAVE SHAMED DETRACTORS SUCH AS THE BRITISH AND

AUSTRALIANS WHO WERE PREACHING HATE-MONGERING IN

ORDER TO INCITE GENOCIDE. ZIMBABWEANS, IN THEIR

WISDOM, HAVE SHOWN THE WORLD THAT THEY NEED NOT

SHED BLOOD IN ORDER TO MAKE A POLITICAL STATEMENT.

IF THERE IS GENOCIDE, THE PEOPLE WHO WILL DIE ARE

ZIMBABWEANS AND NOT AUSTRALIANS OR BRITONS. WE

URGE THE LOSING CANDIDATES IN THE PRESIDENTIAL

ELECTION TO ACCEPT THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE IS THE

PEOPLE’S CHOICE. . . COUNTRIES THAT WANTED TO RE-

COLONIZE ZIMBABWE THROUGH THE BACK DOOR HAVE BEEN

SHAMED AND WE SHOULD NOT PLAY INTO THEIR HANDS BY

ENGAGING IN UNNECESSARY SQUABBLES. NOW IS THE TIME

TO PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND MAP THE WAY FORWARD

 

UNCLASSIFIED

 

UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ6412

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 00689 02 OF 02 150936Z

ACTION INR-00

 

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

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

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

SAS-00     /003W

——————7518A3 150936Z /38

P 150925Z MAR 02

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1227

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

 

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000689

 

SIPDIS

 

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

SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI

FRAZER

 

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION MUGABE WINS POLL; HARARE

 

AS WE SEEK TO REVIVE THE AILING ECONOMY.”

UNCLASSIFIED

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 00689 02 OF 02 150936Z

 

SULLIVAN

 

UNCLASSIFIED

 

>

 

(27 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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