Lack of money thwarts hope of election this year

ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe’s finance minister says elections cannot be held this year, as the president wants, because there is not enough money.

Tendai Biti told reporters yesterday his ministry only has cash for a nationwide census in August and a referendum on a new constitution scheduled around the same time.

President Robert Mugabe has called for elections this year to end a fragile three-year coalition with the former opposition, led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. The coalition was formed in 2009 after disputed elections in 2008.

The finance ministry is controlled by Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change party under the power-sharing deal.

Mugabe has insisted that ‘‘money has to be found’’ for elections this year, with or without a new constitution. Tsvangirai says elections can be held only after constitutional and election reforms are complete.

Mugabe, 88, has been nominated by his Zanu-pf party as the sole presidential candidate.

The finance ministry was this year promised US$600 million (NZ$740M) from diamond sales, but Biti says he has so far received just over US$19M.

Government staff embarked on strikes this year over pay demands that Biti insists can only be met by improved payments into state coffers from diamond revenues.

Rights groups have expressed concern that the unaccounted-for diamond revenue could be used by Mugabe’s party to finance violence and intimidation in the proposed elections. They accuse diamondmining companies of lacking transparency and accountability.

Since the military, loyal to Mugabe, took control of the diamond fields in 2008, using troops and helicopter gunships to remove villagers and small-scale miners, Zimbabweans with diamond interests have bought luxury cars and opulent homes.

Boards of mining firms include retired executives and serving police and military officers.