Chinamasa scuttles UN poll funding

ZANU-PF and MDC-T are embroiled in a fight over the visit of a United Nations (UN) election assessment team amid reports that Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa had blocked the visit, whose recommendations could result in the body funding the country's forthcoming polls.

Finance minister Tendai Biti reportedly invited the UN team, while Chinamasa allegedly wrote a letter blocking the visit.

The team is now reportedly stuck in South Africa and frantic efforts by government, which is now split along party lines, were being made to rescue the situation.

This came after the inclusive government principals, including President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, tasked Chinamasa and Biti to mobilise finances to fund the recently held constitutional referendum and harmonised elections later this year.

Zimbabwe wrote to the UN Resident co-coordinator in February this year making an official request to the UN for assistance in mobilising resources for the referendum and elections.

The request was made to the UN Focal Point on electoral assistance at the UN headquarters and the UN promised to dispatch a team as per their guidelines on electoral support.

After Biti and Chinamasa's letter, the UN Electoral Needs Assessment Mission, in its February 15 response said it would set up a team led by a member of the UN Electoral Assistance Division Tadjoudine Ali Diabacte to come and assess the political situation.

But when Biti eventually invited the UN team, Chinamasa reportedly countered writing another letter blocking them from coming to Zimbabwe.

Zanu-PF recently threatened to withdraw its request for funding from the UN, citing an "avalanche of conditions" demanded by the world body.

Impeccable sources yesterday told NewsDay that both Chinamasa and Biti wrote to the UN asking for financial assistance to hold the country's elections, but the world body responded that it would send a team into the country to assess the situation before "pouring money".

Although the communications specialist in the UN Resident Co-ordinator's Office Sirak Gebrehiwot said he was not aware of the latest developments, impeccable government sources confirmed there was now confusion over the visit of the assessment team to Zimbabwe.

"What I have so far is that the UN and the government are currently working on the modalities for the fielding of the Needs Assessment Mission. I don't have much detail at this moment," Gebrehiwot said.

But sources insisted that Chinamasa had blocked the visit.

"It's a big crisis because the UN team is in South Africa and I understand the principals have to meet on that to agree on the way forward," the source said.

"The best people to comment on that are Chinamasa and Biti because they have the information. What I can say is that there is a crisis and it's an embarrassment because these people are the ones who want to help us in our elections."

Efforts to get a comment from both Biti and Chinamasa were fruitless at the time of going to print last night.

Meanwhile, addressing journalists after meeting Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday, the Danish State secretary for development Ib Petersen said the government was discussing with the UN on international observers and hoped that would go on well.

"There are going to be observers from Sadc and the government is discussing with the UN for international observation and it is necessary that there is an agreement with the UN on international observers before we go in and support," he said.