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No budget for elections - Minister Biti
Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC)
March
14, 2012
Finance Minister,
Hon. Tendai Biti has said there is no budget to finance the holding
of elections this year.
The Minister
said this at a news conference to announce the state of the economy
as at 12 February 2012 in Harare today.
In his statement,
Minister Biti highlighted that no money from diamond
proceeds has been received by Treasury since the beginning of
the year but hoped to receive something at the end of this month.
He said it was
pleasing to note that the country had recorded a decline on both
the month-on-month and year-on year inflation rates.
In his statement,
Hon. Biti spoke about economic developments in agriculture, revenue,
infrastructure, banking sectors and population census.
Responding to
a question on whether there was money to support Robert Mugabe and
Zanu PF's declaration that elections will be held this year
without fail, Minister Biti said; "We are going to have the
constitutional referendum and the national census this year. We
do not have the money for elections, there is no budget for it,"
Hon. Biti said.
The Minister
went on to say even the population census was under budgeted for
and wondered where the deficit was going to come from.
"A sum
of US$37, 2 million is required to carry out the 2012 Population
Census. A provision of US$22 million was made in the 2012 National
Budget for
the exercise. The balance of US$15,2 million will have to be sourced,
also targeting development partners," said Minister Biti,
adding that he will issue a Statutory Instrument in due course to
give legal effect to the 2012 Population Census.
The MDC has
made it clear that it will only participate in elections after a
new Constitution, media, security sector reforms and a new voters'
roll, are in place.
Hon. Biti could
not be drawn into commenting in detail about why there are so many
roadblocks on the country's roads and why the money was not
being channeled to government through the Treasury saying this was
the mandate of the ministers of Home Affairs.
However, the Minister said it was meaningless to have more than
seven roadblocks within the city centre and nine between Harare
and Marondera.
He expressed
hope that the responsible ministry will issue a statement soon.
There are strong
fears that money that is not being controlled from the central Government
is being abused and may be used to finance the Zanu PF regime in
the next elections.
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