Tsvangirai wanted Mbeki replaced as mediator


1

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee that he intended to request the Southern African Development Community to replace South African President Thabo Mbeki with another chief negotiator.

He was going to raise this with Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa who was chair of SADC. He was also going to raise the issue of violence and the impossibility of holding credible elections with Mwanawasa.

Tsvangirai said he was going to tell Mwanawasa that the government-controlled judicial system was incapable of making necessary rulings on the 29 March elections.

 

Full cable:


Viewing cable 08HARARE330, TSVANGIRAI TO RETURN TO HARARE; ANNOUNCE ELECTION

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Reference ID

Created

Released

Classification

Origin

08HARARE330

2008-04-16 11:08

2011-08-30 01:44

CONFIDENTIAL

Embassy Harare

VZCZCXRO9541

OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN

DE RUEHSB #0330 1071108

ZNY CCCCC ZZH

O 161108Z APR 08 ZDK

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2782

INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1925

RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2048

RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0611

RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1325

RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1682

RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2104

RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4535

RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE

RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC

RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1180

RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000330

 

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: 04/16/2018

TAGS: PGOV PREL ZI

SUBJECT: TSVANGIRAI TO RETURN TO HARARE; ANNOUNCE ELECTION

BOYCOTT

 

 

Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)

 

1. (C) MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai called the Ambassador

on April 16 and said he was traveling to Lusaka today to meet

with Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa. He planned to request

that SADC replace South African President Thabo Mbeki with

another chief mediator. He also intended to raise the issue

of violence and the impossibility of holding a credible

election with Mwanawasa. Finally, he intended to tell

Mwanawasa that the government-controlled judicial system was

incapable of making necessary rulings on the March 29

election.

 

2. (C) Tsvangirai said he intended to return to Harare this

evening. He planned to make a detailed statement after

returning on MDC intentions to boycott a runoff election

because of the climate of violence. He did indicate to the

Ambassador that he was willing to reconsider participation if

the atmosphere significantly improved.

 

MCGEE

 

(29 VIEWS)

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1
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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