ZEC Gets ZW$77 Billion For 2023 Elections

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has received ZW$77 billion from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to organize this year’s elections. This amount is 40% less than the $128.6 billion that ZEC had requested in its bid.

ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba told the joint Thematic Committee on Peace and Security and the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice on Wednesday, that the allocated funds will be used for various activities such as voter registration, delimitation, voter education, inspection, nomination courts, and accreditation. She said:

The commission’s bid has been $128,6 billion. The Treasury normally supplements the budgets to meet the gaps created by inflationary factors and price increases. Currently, the commission is driving towards procuring election materials. The commission is happy that the Treasury is forthcoming in support of all these activities when the elections require resources.

She added that the commission is currently working on procuring both sensitive and non-sensitive election materials. They are prioritizing early procurement because some items need to be purchased from outside the country and require foreign currency.

Chigumba stated that the procurement of election items such as ballot paper, indelible ink, marking pens, and tents takes a long time, so they need to start the procurement process early. The provinces have already submitted their requirements for consolidation, and most of the deliveries are expected to arrive by the end of June 2023 to prepare for the elections. Elections are scheduled to be held sometime between July 26 and August 26.

The Japanese government donated US$1.4 million to ZEC through the United Nations Development Programme to support the general elections, while in November 2022, the European Union also donated US$5.9 million for the polls.

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