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“I have proposed that perhaps we can come up with a model that we will use to have the funds just like what we did during the constitution-making process.”
Minister Chinamasa said any model Government would take should not influence the electoral process.
“We have to have mechanisms that protect and sanitise our process from donor influence. It is a principle that no cooperating partner, through charity, should influence our processes,” he said.
“Essentially, as Zanu-PF, we have no objection if that money comes through Treasury. We will object any assistance that is poured directly to institutions that directly run the electoral process.”
About $85million is needed for the referendum, while elections require $107 million.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had budgeted $220 million for the two events, but the amount has been reviewed down to $192 million.
The reduction in the budget was as a result of the scrapping of the delimitation exercises.
Minister Biti, who is also the MDC-T secretary general, confirmed that they were charged with extending the begging bowl to the donor community.
He said Government coffers were empty and last month they struggled to pay civil servants.
“The President and the Prime Minister wrote to me and Minister Chinamasa instructing us to source money to fund elections from the international community,” said Minister Biti.
“We will be approaching the international community on the basis of that letter.”
Minister Biti said apart from the donor community, Government should play its part in funding the elections.
But he said ZEC’s budget for the referendum was too huge.
“We disbursed $2 million to the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs for onward transmission to ZEC,” he said.
“We were advised it will be used for voter education. However, we feel there is a need for moderation in those budgets because how does one justify huge budgets that are way over what we spent during the population census.”
But a ZEC official who requested anonymity said the budget was realistic.
“Population census doesn’t have polling stations. How can the referendum be compared with population census when we will have about 11 staffers at each polling station compared to just an individual going around homes asking how many people are there,” said the source.
ZEC deputy chief elections officer responsible for finance and administration Mr Notai Mutemasango confirmed they received $2 million for ink to be used in the referendum.
The negotiators in the inclusive Government yesterday met the Sadc facilitation team and briefed them on the progress made in the constitution making process.
Speaking after meeting the facilitators, Minister Chinamasa said the parties would urge their supporters to vote for the new constitution.
“Negotiators met the Sadc facilitation team and it was a joint meeting,” he said.
“We updated the team on progress made so far in terms of the new supreme law and the respective political parties communicated that they are going to campaign for a Yes Vote.”
Minister Chinamasa said the parties told the team that the election roadmap would be clearer after the determination of the dates for the referendum.
Online Reporter