Zimbabwe to Start Registering New Voters Next Month
Irwin Chifera
14.12.2012
HARARE — The government says it will embark on a massive voter registration
exercise next month as it starts preparations for a constitutional
referendum and elections sometime next year.
But officials said it will depend mainly on when the new draft constitution
is finalized.
The plan to register voters came out of a meeting organized by Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and attended by Justice Minister Patrick
Chinamasa and Zimbabwe Electoral Commissioners to discuss preparations for
the forthcoming referendum and elections.
Minister Chinamasa told journalists after the meeting that they also
discussed how the government would pay for the two events.
Chinamasa said they agreed to commence a “voter registration blitz on
January 3, and also agreed that attempts will be made immediately to raise
$21 million.”
The meeting resolved that Finance Minister Tendai Biti would be responsible
for raising funds.
Chinamasa’s deputy, Obert Gutu, said the prime minister assured them that
government would provide most of the funds required for both events.
Gutu said Mr. Tsvangirai and the other principals will meet next week to
discuss the issue after which Chinamasa and Biti would meet to discuss the
funding details.
“The money is going to come from government, this government is not as broke
as people might think, the right honourable minister did promise ZEC
(Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) and all of us present that the events are
going to be largely funded by government,” said Gutu
Meanwhile, ZEC deputy chairperson Joyce Kazembe said the organization has
slashed its referendum budget from $100 to $85 million.
Although President Robert Mugabe has insisted that elections must be held in
March next year, Chinamasa said the dates for both the referendum and the
election depend on the completion of the constitution-making process.
A committee tasked to resolve contentious issues has deadlocked but is set
to meet again Monday to try and break the impasse.