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HARARE/LONDON - Zimbabwe's government, facing fierce foreign criticism and calls for its suspension from the Commonwealth, again delayed on Wednesday a debate on a bill to regulate the media ahead of presidential polls.

The delay came as former colonial power Britain said Zimbabwe should be suspended from the 54-nation Commonwealth and accused President Robert Mugabe of preparing to rig presidential polls on March 9-10 to extend his 22-year rule.

"We totally deplore what is happening in Zimbabwe," British Prime Minister Tony Blair told parliament. "The actions of Mugabe...are a disgrace -- a disgrace to his own country (which) badly affect the reputation of the whole of southern Africa."

British junior Foreign Office minister Ben Bradshaw said there was a catalogue of reported abuses in Zimbabwe including "appalling atrocities" against opposition supporters and attempts to muzzle the media.

He said the "flagrant attacks on democratic principles and practice" showed Zimbabwe's ruling party "knows it cannot win a free and fair election".

But Zimbabwe said Britain had scant support for its attempts to suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth and accused London of wanting to engineer a victory for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

"They (Britain) are running feverishly because they know that they don't have any strong support in the Commonwealth outside Australia and Canada for their programme," Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba told Reuters.

"And their agenda is to win the elections for the MDC in the hope of reversing the land redistribution programme."

Nine white farmers and 100 black opposition supporters have been killed, with thousands injured or forced to flee in a two-year land grab by Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party which says it is correcting colonial wrongs.

The eight-strong Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the group's democracy watchdog, will discuss calls for Zimbabwe's suspension at a meeting in London next Wednesday.

Heads of government from the Commonwealth are due to meet in Brisbane in early March, just days before Zimbabwe's elections.

Zimbabwe already faces possible European Union sanctions after failing to address EU concerns over political violence and alleged human rights violations.

The United States is also increasing pressure on Mugabe, taking steps to locate millions of dollars thought to have been deposited abroad by his inner circle -- in preparation for possible freezing of their overseas assets.

The Zimbabwean government delayed for a third time debate on a much-criticised media bill which would restrict access for foreign correspondents and impose state licensing of journalists.

Critics say the bill, which has been amended following domestic complaints and international condemnation, is part of Mugabe's drive to silence opposition ahead of the poll where he will face the biggest test to his leadership since steering the country to independence in 1980.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said he expected the debate would go ahead on Thursday.

"The parliamentary legal committee has requested more time to give consideration to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Bill," he told parliament.

"The committee has assured me that they will be able to issue a report on the bill tomorrow (Thursday) morning."

Debate on the bill has been repeatedly put off because some of Mugabe's ZANU-PF members fear it could hurt his campaign.

The government took back the bill last week to amend it after a parliamentary committee called it unconstitutional.

A copy of the amended bill made available to journalists on Tuesday showed the government had made minor changes but media analysts said the spirit of the legislation remained intact.

"These are fairly cosmetic changes. It will continue to restrict freedom of expression," said Takura Zhangazha, advocacy officer for the Media Institute of Southern Africa.

The original legislation barred foreigners from working as correspondents. The revised bill allows foreigners with permanent residence to work in Zimbabwe. But journalists who are not citizens or permanent residents will be restricted.

The government still plans to set up a state-appointed commission vested with powers to license journalists but it dropped the threat of new penalties against journalists accused of denigrating the office of the president.

However, such reports would still be an offence under the Public Order and Security Act signed into law by Mugabe on Tuesday. It makes criticism of the president a crime. Nampa-Reuters

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