Mujuru wanted elections to be a clean fight

Former army commander Solomon Mujuru said elections should be a clean fight and both sides should be able to accept the outcome.

He told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan that he had been responsible for making sure that the by-election in Chikomba, his home area, was the most peaceful election since June 2000.

He had hosted a barbecue for both Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and Movement for Democratic Change candidates at his home and had urged everyone to conduct a peaceful campaign.

Mujuru said it was not in Zimbabwe’s interests for political parties to regard each other as enemies instead of legitimate opponents.

He said that the MDC would have been in control of Parliament if people had voted Yes in the 2000 referendum because this would have abolished the 30 seats appointed by the president and increased the number of seats representing urban areas, where the MDC was stronger.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 01HARARE3439, AMBASSADOR’S DISCUSSION WITH INFLUENTIAL ZANU-PF

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

170759Z Nov 01

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO8656

PAGE 01       HARARE 03439 170913Z

ACTION AF-00

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

TEDE-00 INR-00   VCE-00   NSAE-00 CAEX-01 IRM-00   EPAE-00

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

——————3FB2EE 170913Z /75

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0300

INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 003439

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/13/11

TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S DISCUSSION WITH INFLUENTIAL ZANU-PF

POLITBURO MEMBER

CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON. REASONS:

1.5 (B) AND (D).

IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL DIALOGUE

——————————–

¶1. (C) IN A NOVEMBER 12 CONVERSATION WITH THE AMBASSADOR AND

POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF, ZANU-PF POLITBURO MEMBER SOLOMON MUJURU

SAID HE WAS PROUD OF HIS ROLE IN ENSURING THAT THE SEPTEMBER BY-

ELECTION IN CHIKOMBA (HIS HOME BASE) WAS THE MOST PEACEFUL BY-

ELECTION SINCE JUNE 2000. HE TOLD US THAT HE HAD HOSTED A

BARBECUE AT HIS LOCAL HOME THAT INCLUDED THE RULING PARTY AND MDC

PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES, AS WELL AS LOCAL OFFICIALS FROM BOTH

PARTIES, AT WHICH HE HAD URGED EVERYONE INVOLVED TO CONDUCT A

PEACEFUL CAMPAIGN. HE SAID HE WAS WORKING WITH OTHERS TO MINIMIZE

INCIDENTS OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN THE RUNUP TO THE PRESIDENTIAL

ELECTION IN EARLY 2002.

¶2. (C) MUJURU EXPRESSED REGRET THAT THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT HAS

BECOME SO CHARGED THAT MANY ZIMBABWEANS DO NOT FEEL FREE TO SHARE

THEIR POLITICAL OPINIONS. HE SAID BOTH PARTIES SHOULD BE ABLE TO

ENGAGE IN A DIALOGUE ABOUT THE WAY FORWARD, AND HE THOUGHT AN

ELECTORAL CODE OF CONDUCT WAS A GOOD IDEA. THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN

SHOULD BE A CLEAN FIGHT, AND BOTH SIDES SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCEPT

THE OUTCOME. IT WAS NOT IN ZIMBABWE’S INTEREST FOR POLITICAL

PARTIES TO REGARD EACH OTHER AS ENEMIES INSTEAD OF LEGITIMATE

OPPONENTS, BUT HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE DIFFICULTY OF BUILDING TRUST

BETWEEN ZANU-PF AND THE MDC AND OF CREATING AN ENABLING

ENVIRONMENT FOR CONSTRUCTIVE INTER-PARTY TALKS. MUJURU ASSERTED

THAT THE MDC WOULD NOW CONTROL PARLIAMENT IF THE “YES” VOTE HAD

CARRIED THE DAY IN THE FEBRUARY 2000 REFERENDUM, AS THE DRAFT

CONSTITUTION WOULD HAVE ABOLISHED THE 30 SEATS APPOINTED BY THE

PRESIDENT AND INCREASED THE NUMBER OF SEATS REPRESENTING URBAN

AREAS, THE OPPOSITION PARTY’S STRONGHOLD. HE SAID HIS “FRIENDS IN

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 03439 170913Z

ZANU-PF” QUESTION HIS OPENNESS WITH PEOPLE OF ALL POLITICAL

STRIPES. HE JOKED THAT HE TALKS TO THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS SO MUCH

THAT WHEN HE SPEAKS WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE, THE FIRST THING THE

PRESIDENT ASKS IS WHETHER MUJURU HAS FARMERS WITH HIM.

¶3. (C) MUJURU SAID THE DECISION ON THE TIMING OF THE ELECTION

WOULD BE MADE AT ZANU-PF’S CONGRESS IN DECEMBER AND WOULD BE MADE

PUBLIC SOON AFTER THAT. ASKED WHO WOULD WIN THE ELECTION, MUJURU

SAID ONLY THAT IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY CLOSE. HE PREDICTED THAT THE

VICTORIOUS PARTY WOULD GARNER BETWEEN 51 AND 55% OF THE TOTAL VOTE

COUNT. (N.B. MUJURU RECENTLY REMARKED TO A BRITISH COLLEAGUE

THAT THE RULING PARTY WOULD WIN 55% OF THE VOTE. ASKED WHAT

PERCENTAGE IT WOULD GARNER IF MUGABE WERE NOT THE CANDIDATE,

MUJURU REPORTEDLY SAID “75%.” END N.B.)

LINKS WITH MILITARY

——————-

¶4. (C) THE AMBASSADOR ASKED WHETHER MUJURU HAD RETAINED CLOSE

LINKS TO MILITARY COMMANDERS SINCE HIS RETIREMENT AS CHIEF OF THE

DEFENSE FORCES IN 1992. YES, MUJURU REPLIED, HE STILL HAD GOOD

RELATIONS WITH “THE BOYS.” THE AMBASSADOR NOTED THAT HE HAD HAD A

GOOD MEETING RECENTLY WITH MINISTER OF DEFENSE SEKERAMAYI. MUJURI

SAID SEKERAMAYI HAD CALLED HIM IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS TO BRIEF HIM

ON THAT MEETING, AND THAT THE MINISTER SHARED THE AMBASSADOR’S

POSITIVE ASSESSMENT OF THEIR CONVERSATION.

FAST TRACK RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM

——————————-

¶5. (C) MUJURU WAS NOT HAPPY WITH HOW THE FAST TRACK RESETTLEMENT

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04       HARARE 03439 170913Z

PROGRAM HAS UNFOLDED. THE PARTY, HE CLAIMED, HAD SET OUT VERY

CLEAR AND REASONABLE CRITERIA FOR LAND REFORM. THE UNLEASHING OF

THE WAR VETERANS, HOWEVER, HAD KNOCKED THE PROGRAM OFF-TRACK, AND

IT WAS NOT “WORKING AS WE HAD PLANNED.” NOTING THAT HE WAS A

WHEAT AND SOYBEAN FARMER HIMSELF, HE EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT

RESETTLED FAMILIES WERE NOT BEING PROVIDED WITH SUFFICIENT

RESOURCES TO TURN THEIR NEW PROPERTIES INTO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC

ENTERPRISES.

COMMENT

——-

¶6. (C) ALTHOUGH NOT PARTICULARLY ARTICULATE OR INTELLECTUALLY

IMPRESSIVE, GENERAL MUJURU CARRIES SIGNIFICANT BEHIND-THE-SCENES

INFLUENCE WITH KEY DECISION-MAKERS, AS EVIDENCED BY SEKERAMAYI’S

TELPHONE CALL TO HIM. HE IS, IN FACT, CONSIDERED A POTENTIAL

KINGMAKER BY MANY OBSERVERS. IN ADDITION, SOME OF THE MILITARY’S

KEY COMMANDERS SERVED UNDER MUJURU, RETAIN STRONG LOYALTIES TO

HIM, AND WOULD FOLLOW HIS LEAD IF THE DETERIORATION OF THE

POLITICAL EVENTS HERE SPARKED SOME DEGREE OF MILITARY INVOLVEMENT.

CONSEQUENTLY, MUJURU IS REPORTEDLY ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE WHOSE

ADVICE PRESIDENT MUGABE TAKES SERIOUSLY. GIVEN HIS POSITIVE ROLE

IN THE CHIKOMBA BY-ELECTION AND HIS MODERATE, NO NONSENSE VIEWS ON

ISSUES SUCH AS POLITICAL DIALOGUE, WE BELIEVE HE CAN, AND IS

TRYING TO, MINIMIZE THE RULING PARTY’S WORST EXCESSES.

SULLIVAN

CONFIDENTIAL

>

@@@OASYS@@@

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4191

PAGE 01       HARARE 03439 01 OF 02 170844Z

ACTION AF-00

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

TEDE-00 INR-00   VCE-00   NSAE-00 CAEX-01 IRM-00   EPAE-00

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

——————3FB140 170844Z /38

P 170759Z NOV 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0300

INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003439

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/13/11

TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S DISCUSSION WITH INFLUENTIAL ZANU-PF

POLITBURO MEMBER

CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON. REASONS:

1.5 (B) AND (D).

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 03439 01 OF 02 170844Z

IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL DIALOGUE

——————————–

¶1. (C) IN A NOVEMBER 12 CONVERSATION WITH THE AMBASSADOR AND

POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF, ZANU-PF POLITBURO MEMBER SOLOMON MUJURU

SAID HE WAS PROUD OF HIS ROLE IN ENSURING THAT THE SEPTEMBER BY-

ELECTION IN CHIKOMBA (HIS HOME BASE) WAS THE MOST PEACEFUL BY-

ELECTION SINCE JUNE 2000. HE TOLD US THAT HE HAD HOSTED A

BARBECUE AT HIS LOCAL HOME THAT INCLUDED THE RULING PARTY AND MDC

PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES, AS WELL AS LOCAL OFFICIALS FROM BOTH

PARTIES, AT WHICH HE HAD URGED EVERYONE INVOLVED TO CONDUCT A

PEACEFUL CAMPAIGN. HE SAID HE WAS WORKING WITH OTHERS TO MINIMIZE

INCIDENTS OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN THE RUNUP TO THE PRESIDENTIAL

ELECTION IN EARLY 2002.

¶2. (C) MUJURU EXPRESSED REGRET THAT THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT HAS

BECOME SO CHARGED THAT MANY ZIMBABWEANS DO NOT FEEL FREE TO SHARE

THEIR POLITICAL OPINIONS. HE SAID BOTH PARTIES SHOULD BE ABLE TO

ENGAGE IN A DIALOGUE ABOUT THE WAY FORWARD, AND HE THOUGHT AN

ELECTORAL CODE OF CONDUCT WAS A GOOD IDEA. THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN

SHOULD BE A CLEAN FIGHT, AND BOTH SIDES SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCEPT

THE OUTCOME. IT WAS NOT IN ZIMBABWE’S INTEREST FOR POLITICAL

PARTIES TO REGARD EACH OTHER AS ENEMIES INSTEAD OF LEGITIMATE

OPPONENTS, BUT HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE DIFFICULTY OF BUILDING TRUST

BETWEEN ZANU-PF AND THE MDC AND OF CREATING AN ENABLING

ENVIRONMENT FOR CONSTRUCTIVE INTER-PARTY TALKS. MUJURU ASSERTED

THAT THE MDC WOULD NOW CONTROL PARLIAMENT IF THE “YES” VOTE HAD

CARRIED THE DAY IN THE FEBRUARY 2000 REFERENDUM, AS THE DRAFT

CONSTITUTION WOULD HAVE ABOLISHED THE 30 SEATS APPOINTED BY THE

PRESIDENT AND INCREASED THE NUMBER OF SEATS REPRESENTING URBAN

AREAS, THE OPPOSITION PARTY’S STRONGHOLD. HE SAID HIS “FRIENDS IN

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 03439 01 OF 02 170844Z

ZANU-PF” QUESTION HIS OPENNESS WITH PEOPLE OF ALL POLITICAL

STRIPES. HE JOKED THAT HE TALKS TO THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS SO MUCH

THAT WHEN HE SPEAKS WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE, THE FIRST THING THE

PRESIDENT ASKS IS WHETHER MUJURU HAS FARMERS WITH HIM.

¶3. (C) MUJURU SAID THE DECISION ON THE TIMING OF THE ELECTION

WOULD BE MADE AT ZANU-PF’S CONGRESS IN DECEMBER AND WOULD BE MADE

PUBLIC SOON AFTER THAT. ASKED WHO WOULD WIN THE ELECTION, MUJURU

SAID ONLY THAT IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY CLOSE. HE PREDICTED THAT THE

VICTORIOUS PARTY WOULD GARNER BETWEEN 51 AND 55% OF THE TOTAL VOTE

COUNT. (N.B. MUJURU RECENTLY REMARKED TO A BRITISH COLLEAGUE

THAT THE RULING PARTY WOULD WIN 55% OF THE VOTE. ASKED WHAT

PERCENTAGE IT WOULD GARNER IF MUGABE WERE NOT THE CANDIDATE,

MUJURU REPORTEDLY SAID “75%.” END N.B.)

LINKS WITH MILITARY

——————-

¶4. (C) THE AMBASSADOR ASKED WHETHER MUJURU HAD RETAINED CLOSE

LINKS TO MILITARY COMMANDERS SINCE HIS RETIREMENT AS CHIEF OF THE

DEFENSE FORCES IN 1992. YES, MUJURU REPLIED, HE STILL HAD GOOD

RELATIONS WITH “THE BOYS.” THE AMBASSADOR NOTED THAT HE HAD HAD A

GOOD MEETING RECENTLY WITH MINISTER OF DEFENSE SEKERAMAYI. MUJURI

SAID SEKERAMAYI HAD CALLED HIM IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS TO BRIEF HIM

ON THAT MEETING, AND THAT THE MINISTER SHARED THE AMBASSADOR’S

POSITIVE ASSESSMENT OF THEIR CONVERSATION.

FAST TRACK RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM

——————————-

¶5. (C) MUJURU WAS NOT HAPPY WITH HOW THE FAST TRACK RESETTLEMENT

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04       HARARE 03439 01 OF 02 170844Z

PROGRAM HAS UNFOLDED. THE PARTY, HE CLAIMED, HAD SET OUT VERY

CLEAR AND REASONABLE CRITERIA FOR LAND REFORM. THE UNLEASHING OF

THE WAR VETERANS, HOWEVER, HAD KNOCKED THE PROGRAM OFF-TRACK, AND

IT WAS NOT “WORKING AS WE HAD PLANNED.” NOTING THAT HE WAS A

WHEAT AND SOYBEAN FARMER HIMSELF, HE EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT

RESETTLED FAMILIES WERE NOT BEING PROVIDED WITH SUFFICIENT

RESOURCES TO TURN THEIR NEW PROPERTIES INTO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC

ENTERPRISES.

COMMENT

——-

¶6. (C) ALTHOUGH NOT PARTICULARLY ARTICULATE OR INTELLECTUALLY

IMPRESSIVE, GENERAL MUJURU CARRIES SIGNIFICANT BEHIND-THE-SCENES

INFLUENCE WITH KEY DECISION-MAKERS, AS EVIDENCED BY SEKERAMAYI’S

TELPHONE CALL TO HIM. HE IS, IN FACT, CONSIDERED A POTENTIAL

KINGMAKER BY MANY OBSERVERS. IN ADDITION, SOME OF THE MILITARY’S

KEY COMMANDERS SERVED UNDER MUJURU, RETAIN STRONG LOYALTIES TO

HIM, AND WOULD FOLLOW HIS LEAD IF THE DETERIORATION OF THE

POLITICAL EVENTS HERE SPARKED SOME DEGREE OF MILITARY INVOLVEMENT.

CONSEQUENTLY, MUJURU IS REPORTEDLY ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE WHOSE

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4190

PAGE 01       HARARE 03439 02 OF 02 170844Z

ACTION AF-00

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

TEDE-00 INR-00   VCE-00   NSAE-00 IRM-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02

NFAT-00 SAS-00     /002W

——————3FB143 170844Z /38

P 170759Z NOV 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0301

INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003439

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/13/11

TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S DISCUSSION WITH INFLUENTIAL ZANU-PF

POLITBURO MEMBER

ADVICE PRESIDENT MUGABE TAKES SERIOUSLY. GIVEN HIS POSITIVE ROLE

IN THE CHIKOMBA BY-ELECTION AND HIS MODERATE, NO NONSENSE VIEWS ON

ISSUES SUCH AS POLITICAL DIALOGUE, WE BELIEVE HE CAN, AND IS

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 03439 02 OF 02 170844Z

TRYING TO, MINIMIZE THE RULING PARTY’S WORST EXCESSES.

SULLIVAN

CONFIDENTIAL

>

(28 VIEWS)