While ZEC maintains there is no money, Theresa Makone, the Acting Finance Minister, said the money was available.
The registration exercise was supposed to commence on 3 January but failed due to lack of finance to support the process.
Addressing journalists on Thursday after a briefing with Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, in Harare, Acting ZEC Chairperson, Joyce Kazembe, said her team was ready to roll but funding of the process remained a stumbling block.
“We are frustrated because the process has been delayed. We were just told by the treasury that the money would come soon but soon is a relative term. We don’t really know when we will start the process.
“We will just wait for the money but we are aware that our economy is not stable. If the money is to come after two months, that is when we will just start the process,” said Kazembe.
The sentiments by Kazembe put into doubt claims by Zanu (PF) that elections will be held in March this year.
She said the process which would be ward-based needed a total of $8million for voter education, inspection, processing of birth certificates and identity cards.
However, Makone claims money to run the voter registration programme is available.
“The money for voter registration is available and we will avail it soon. We understand that voter’s registration is more intense around the election, thus I will ensure that ZEC gets their money as promised,” said Makone.
The Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, called a meeting today expressing his concern over the delay of the official voter’s registration.
The meeting was attended by Makone who is the co-Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Justice and Legal Affair, Patrick Chinamasa, Registrar General, Tobaiwa Mudede, and Kazembe.
Post published in: News