Zimbabwe will need $200 million to hold polls next year
Zimbabwe will need 200 million US dollars (157 million euros) to hold polls
next year if leaders insist on meeting unity deal time-frames, media
reported Wednesday.
Fresh elections are due in 2011 under the power-sharing pact signed two
years ago by President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
The “200 million would be required for two elections (including
parliamentary polls),” Finance Minister Tendai Biti was quoted as saying by
the state-run Herald newspaper.
Biti said a decision on elections lay with Mugabe and Tsvangirai, who formed
a compromise government last year to pave the way for fresh polls after a
bloody presidential run-off election in which Mugabe was the sole candidate.
Zimbabwe’s electoral commission indicated last week that it will not be able
to draw up a clean voters’ roll and organise elections next year because of
lack of funding.
Electoral reforms are also needed for credible polls, it said.
Parliament is to amend electoral laws to speed up the announcement of
results and create a system for reporting political violence before the new
polls.
The parties also agreed to draft a new constitution before the next
elections but a drive to gather suggestions for the new charter has been
marred by reports of intimidation.
Under the power-sharing deal, Zimbabwe was meant to draft a new constitution
and put it to a referendum by November 2010, with new elections by February
2011
Posted by Sakhile Malaba
on September 2, 2010. Filed under Local News,Main Headline.
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