Rumour mill gave MDC victory

The Movement for Democratic Change was reported to have won 60 percent of the constituencies in the 2000 elections, according to the rumour mill which was spurred by the party’s victories in Matabeleland.

Some of the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front casualties, according to the rumour mill, were Mashonaland central governor Border Gezi, war veterans leader Chenjerai Hunzvi and Deputy Local Government Minister Tony Gara.

The three were known staunch supporters of President Robert Mugabe.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 00HARARE3490, GOZ BEGINS ANNOUNCING RESULTS;

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

261729Z Jun 00

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO7571

PAGE 01       HARARE 03490 261725Z

ACTION AF-00

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

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

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

PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   SSO-00   TRSE-00 USIE-00

PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00     /006W

——————671B90 261726Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6444

INFO NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 003490

SIPDIS

AF FOR P/DAS POWELL AND DAS SCHNEIDMAN

AF/S FOR A. RENDER, D. BOOTH, AND T. FAULK

AF/PD FOR PATIN AND HOWARD

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/10

TAGS: PGOV PINS ZI

SUBJECT: GOZ BEGINS ANNOUNCING RESULTS;

UNCONFIRMED RUMORS OF MDC SUCCESS ABOUND

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD. REASON:

1.5(B) AND (D).

¶1. (C) INITIAL RESULTS OF THE JUNE 24-25

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 03490 261725Z

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WERE ANNOUNCED AT 1830 LOCAL

TIME BY REGISTRAR GENERAL TOBIWA MUDEDE. THE THREE

CONSTITUENCIES ANNOUNCED, ALL IN MATABELELAND

PROVINCE, VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY FOR MOVEMENT FOR

DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) CANDIDATES. THE RUMOR MILL

IS GIVING THE MDC VICTORIES IN ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF

THE CONSTITUENCIES. UNCONFIRMED REPORTS GIVE THE

MDC VICTORIES IN BULAWAYO, VICTORIA FALLS, HWANGE,

GWANDA, MARONDERA, MASVINGO CENTRAL, HARARE NORTH

AND HARARE CENTRAL. MDC WINNERS ARE SAID TO INCLUDE

DAVID COLTART, WELSHMAN NCUBE, AND TRUDIE STEVENSON.

IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER MDC LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI

WON THE RACE IN BUHERA NORTH CONSTITUENCY. AT THIS

WRITING, IT APPEARS THAT ZANU-PF LOSERS MAY INCLUDE

SOME KEY MINISTERS, AS WELL AS MASHONALAND CENTRAL

GOVERNOR BORDER GEZI, WAR VET LEADER HITLER HUNZVI,

AND DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT TONY GARA.

AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL UNCONFIRMED RUMORS. AN MDC

SOURCE ANNOUNCED HIMSELF “SATISFIED” WITH THE

CONDUCT OF THE COUNTING. ISAAC MAPOSA OF THE

NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY, WHO IS

SPEARHEADING THE DOMESTIC OBSERVER EFFORT, EXPRESSED

CONCERN THAT THE DELAY IN ANNOUNCING RESULTS WILL

MAKE MANIPULATION OF THEM EASIER, SINCE MONITORS AND

PARTY AGENTS WHO HAVE BEEN GUARDING THE BALLOT BOXES

NIGHT AND DAY SINCE SATURDAY ARE BY NOW EXHAUSTED.

¶2. (U) OFFICIALS AT THE GOVERNMENT’S MEDIA CENTER,

WHICH OPENED AT 11:00 A.M., ANNOUNCED AT ABOUT 3:30

P.M. THAT THE LARGE VOTER TURNOUT HAD DELAYED

COUNTING, AND APPEALED FOR CALM AS THE RESULTS ARE

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 03490 261725Z

AWAITED. THEY SAID THAT POLICE WOULD BE DEPLOYED TO

EVERY CONSTITUENCY IN THE COUNTRY AND WOULD REMAIN

THERE UNTIL THE COUNTING PROCESS IS COMPLETED.

¶3. (U) AT THIS WRITING, AN EMBASSY OFFICER REPORTS

THAT BULAWAYO IS CALM, AND HARARE IS AS WELL. ALL

EMBASSY ELECTION OBSERVERS ARE SAFE. AN EAC MEETING

WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 27.

MCDONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

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