Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he had won the 29 March elections outright but he was prepared for a runoff provided it was held 21 days after the announcement of the results.
He said he had information that President Robert Mugabe was prepared to postpone the runoff by six months and had been advised that he could do so legally.
Tsvangirai said a context held in three to six months would not be a runoff but a new election.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE278, SITUATION REPORT: WAITING GAME OR END GAME? THE
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Reference ID |
Created |
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Classification |
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VZCZCXRO3473
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0278/01 0951146
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 041146Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2701
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1882
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2005
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0578
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1282
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1639
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2061
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4492
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1132
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000278
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2018
SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT: WAITING GAME OR END GAME? THE
OPPOSITION REMAINS PATIENT, FOR NOW
REF: HARARE 275
Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Six days after Zimbabwe’s national
elections, the waiting game for official results continues
amid rumors of a runoff, escalating tensions, and hopes for a
peaceful end to the political crisis. On April 4, opposition
presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai updated the
diplomatic corps in a closed-door briefing. Following a night
of searches and arrests by Zimbabwe’s security forces,
Tsvangirai reiterated his party’s commitment to demonstrating
SIPDIS
restraint while still calling for the electoral commission to
confirm results. Tsvangirai again stated that he was willing
to participate in a runoff (despite his belief that he won
the election outright), but only within the 21 day period
specified by the law. He urged the international community
to continue its calls for results to be released. Patient up
to this point, it is unclear how much longer the MDC, and the
country, can wait for results. END SUMMARY.
¶2. (C) Describing the current situation as a “continued,
intractable predicament,” MDC presidential candidate Morgan
Tsvangirai held a closed-door briefing for the diplomatic
SIPDIS
corps on April 4, a full six days after the March 29
presidential and parliamentary elections. Tsvangirai
cautioned against hopes of an imminent announcement of
results by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), stating
that it may be another two to three days before ZEC completes
verification of the presidential vote. He noted that despite
escalating tensions, including the search of the MDC,s
command center and arrests of journalists and NGO workers
made overnight (reftel), the MDC would continue to show
restraint while waiting for the results and the Mugabe
regime’s reaction. Tsvangirai stated that the MDC had heard
a rumor that MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti had been
arrested. (NOTE: We later learned from MDC sources that Biti
was not in custody. END NOTE.) It is feared, though, that
authorities are seeking to detain and possibly charge him for
announcing, before official election results, that the MDC
had won.
¶3. (SBU) Tsvangirai again stated that while he was confident
that he had won the election outright with over 50 percent of
the vote, he remained willing to contest in a runoff.
However, he was adamant that the runoff take place within 21
days following the announcement of the results, as specified
in the Electoral Act. Tsvangirai reported that the MDC “has
it on good authority” that Mugabe was considering delaying
the runoff by three to six months, a change that Tsvangirai
described as “against the will of the people.” The MDC
understood that Mugabe had been advised by the Attorney
General that he could authorize the delay by presidential
decree. Tsvangirai likened such a move to “a player acting
as a referee, changing the goal posts to suit his position.”
The MDC legal team was exploring whether a presidential
decree would be legal. Tsvangirai also noted that he
expected the runoff would proceed under the same parameters
as the first round and would include the presence of
independent observers and the media.
¶4. (SBU) Tsvangirai went on to decry the ongoing political
stalemate while the country “is on its knees” and called for
those who have influence over Mugabe to advise him that it
was in his best interest to accept defeat. Tsvangirai noted
that ZANU-PF was unable to pay for a runoff within the next
21 days and that such an exercise would only serve to further
polarize the political situation, removing the opportunity
for national reconciliation and a dignified exit for Mugabe.
Tsvangirai stated that a contest held in three to six months
SIPDIS
was no longer a runoff, but a new election; one that would be
HARARE 00000278 002 OF 002
held in a different political climate.
¶5. (SBU) Addressing concerns about the detention and arrest
of foreign journalists the previous night, Tsvangirai
criticized the Mugabe regime for restricting media access to
the country. He also advised diplomats to tell the media to
be cautious and not invite intervention by police by
operating without accreditation. Tsvangirai stated that he
believed security forces remained willing to protect the will
of the people and respect the constitution, despite their
politicization under ZANU-PF.
¶6. (SBU) Tsvangirai confirmed that he had spoken with a
number of African leaders and members of the international
community, including Kofi Annan and South African President
Thabo Mbeki. Tsvangirai applauded Mbeki’s April 3 statement
calling for the results to be respected by all parties.
Tsvangirai urged the international community to continue to
SIPDIS
demand the announcement of official results and for ZEC and
ZANU-PF to act within the confines of the law.
¶7. (SBU) Tsvangirai also confirmed that the results announced
up to this point by ZEC coincided with the MDC’s own tally
based on vote totals posted outside polling sites. He
expressed satisfaction that the democratic opposition would
now control parliament and expected that the MDC would work
closely with other opposition MPs toward an absolute majority
of 106 seats.
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: Amid concerns about a government crackdown
against the opposition and civil society, the MDC continues
to calmly and cautiously wait for the ZEC announcement, play
down fears of mass violence, and reach out to the
international community. However, Tsvangirai’s patience may
begin to run thin if Mugabe moves to extend the runoff period
or continues his intimidation tactics against the opposition.
The willingness to wait by Zimbabweans has been commendable,
but if an end to the standoff does not come soon, such
restraint may come off the table. END COMMENT.
MCGEE
(32 VIEWS)
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