People will regret voting for Mugabe

People who voted for President Robert Mugabe in one of the most controversial elections would live to regret their preference for a party of violence and lies, the Daily News warned after the 2002 presidential elections which Mugabe won overwhelmingly.

“The West….will not touch Zimbabwe with a barge pole, not after an election so riddled with violence and chicanery only countries with hidden agendas will endorse it as free and fair.

“In fact, there were so many impediments placed in the path of the opposition it is a tribute to their courage, patriotism and dedication that they gave ZANU-PF such a scare.

“Morgan Tsvangirai and his team did not for one moment falter in their challenge to the political behemoth that is ZANU PF. The people who failed them may live to regret their preference for a party of violence and lies.”

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE676, MEDIA REACTION MUGABE WINS POLL; 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.

141226Z Mar 02

UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ3131

PAGE 01       HARARE 00676 141236Z

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

——————747719 141236Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1213

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000676

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.   UNDER HEADLINE “THE TRAGIC REALITY OF A MUGABE

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02       HARARE 00676 141236Z

ELECTION VICTORY,” THE INDEPENDENT DAILY “THE DAILY

NEWS” DEDICATED ITS MARCH 14 EDITORIAL TO PAYING

TRIBUTE TO THE MANY ZIMBABWEAN VOTERS WHO COURAGEOUSLY

VOTED FOR CHANGE, UNDER HOSTILE CONDITIONS, DURING THE

WEEKEND PRESIDENTIAL POLL. EXCERPTS:

¶2.   “AS HE RIDES OFF INTO THE SUNSET, THE WINNER OF

THE

MOST CONTROVERSIAL ELECTION IN ZIMBABWE’S HISTORY,

PRESIDENT MUGABE, MUST WONDER WHAT HIS VICTORY WILL

DO TO THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE OF HIS BELEAGUERED

COUNTRY. . . THE WEST, ACCUSED BY MUGABE OF

CAMPAIGNING FOR HIS OUSTER FROM POWER, WILL NOT

TOUCH ZIMBABWE WITH A BARGE POLE, NOT AFTER AN

ELECTION SO RIDDLED WITH VIOLENCE AND CHICANERY

ONLY COUNTRIES WITH HIDDEN AGENDAS WILL ENDORSE IT

AS FREE AND FAIR. . . IN FACT, THERE WERE SO MANY

IMPEDIMENTS PLACED IN THE PATH OF THE OPPOSITION IT

IS A TRIBUTE TO THEIR COURAGE, PATRIOTISM AND

DEDICATION THAT THEY GAVE ZANU PF SUCH A SCARE.

MORGAN TSVANGIRAI AND HIS TEAM DID NOT FOR ONE

MOMENT FALTER IN THEIR CHALLENGE TO THE POLITICAL

BEHEMOTH THAT IS ZANU PF. THE PEOPLE WHO FAILED

THEM MAY LIVE TO REGRET THEIR PREFERENCE FOR A

PARTY OF VIOLENCE AND LIES.”

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

>

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