MEDIA REACTION MUGABE/TAYLOR ARROGANT; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 001607 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION MUGABE/TAYLOR ARROGANT; HARARE ¶1. Under headline "Alternative to dialogue" the independent daily "The Daily News" dedicated its August 13 editorial to urging Robert Mugabe to be sincere in finding a durable solution to the current political impasse in Zimbabwe, adding that Mugabe's "demand that others should repent" is "arrogant hypocrisy of the worst kind. . .The kind of arrogant hypocrisy the world has come to expect from the likes of Liberia's embattled Charles Taylor." Excerpts: ¶2. "An unrepentant President Robert Mugabe on Monday used Heroes' Day. . .to inflict more despair and anguish on crisis-weary Zimbabweans. When he could have used the occasion to rally the nation behind the search for a negotiated end to Zimbabwe's bitter crisis, Mugabe single- handedly tried to scuttle prospects for an end to the country's political impasse when he demanded that the opposition `repent' before there can be co-operation with his government. . .That in the face of all this, Mugabe - who as President of Zimbabwe bears the most responsibility for the way things have fallen apart in this country - can turn around and demand that others should repent and beg for forgiveness is arrogant hypocrisy of the worst kind. The kind of arrogant hypocrisy the world has come to expect from the likes of Liberia's embattled Charles Taylor. . .But then Taylor was always an uncouth warlord prepared to do anything for the love of political power and diamonds. This is not the kind of behavior that Zimbabweans want or expect from Robert Mugabe. . .Zimbabweans expect Mugabe to negotiate, not only with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC),but with the devil himself if that is the only way to break the country's political impasse and allow Zimbabwe a chance to make a fresh beginning. . . ." WHITEHEAD