MEDIA REPORT U. S./UK UNDER FIRE FROM ZANU PF;

UNCLAS HARARE 001095 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PDPA DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS, AF/S RAYNOR NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT U. S./UK UNDER FIRE FROM ZANU PF; HARARE ZANU-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity, Nathan Shamuyarira, has accused the United States and Britain of backing week-long mass protests, called by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to pressure Robert Mugabe to a negotiating table. According to an article carried on page 2 in the June 2 edition of the government- controlled daily "The Herald," under headline "ZANU-PF deplores U. S., UK," Shamuyaririra - in a statement issued in Harare yesterday - said it was a shock that the U. S. and Britain were supporting a demonstration whose intention is to engage in a coup d'etat. "An illegal assembly organizing military coup cannot be called peaceful and democratic. It is shocking that the Government of Britain and U. S. should support such a demonstration," Shamuyarira is quoted as saying. SULLIVAN