'US$10m for training Zimbabwe election agents illegal'

THE mobilisation of US$10 million by various Western countries and organisations including the United States and the United Kingdom for the training of election agents is illegal, Zanu-PF Treasurer General Patrick Chinamasa has said.

In a statement last night, Chinamasa said the Zanu-PF Department of Finance had noted with concern that the UK, France, Australia, USAID, Sweden, Japan, the US Embassy in Harare, the USA-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the EU, the US and the UK-funded Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) and Elections Resource Centre (ERC), were putting together a "donation" of US$10 million for the training of 12 500 election agents for all political parties participating in the August 23 harmonised elections.

"I wish to make it abundantly clear that such offer of funding is illegal and in direct violation of Section 6 of the Political Parties (Finance Act) Chapter 2:11 which provides that: (1) 'No political party, member of a political party or candidate shall accept any foreign donation whether directly from a donor or through a third person'," said Chinamasa.

"For this reason, Zanu-PF will not accept any donor funding towards the training of its polling agents as that would be illegal and in violation of our laws. Zanu-PF calls upon all political parties in Zimbabwe including CCC and MDC-A not to accept this offer of funding as that will be in violation of the Political Parties (Finance) Act."

Chinamasa said Zanu-PF considers the US$10 million funding offer to train election agents of political parties not only as a direct interference in Zimbabwe's electoral political processes, but also a disguised strategy by the donors to prop up the waning political fortunes of Mr Nelson Chamisa and his CCC party.

Zanu-PF also called upon law enforcement agencies and financial institutions to monitor any flow of funds into Zimbabwe, especially during this election campaign period to prevent any violation of the Political Parties (Finance) Act, and to bring to book any perpetrators.

Since 2000, Western countries have not substantively rejected allegations of financially supporting the formation of the MDC and subsequently funding its election campaign.

Various splinter parties that emerged from the MDC since 2005, including the CCC, have all allegedly received funds from Western countries and organisations that are determined to see Zanu-PF losing elections.

The Western organisations have funded several violent demonstrations undertaken by opposition groups and civil society organisations with the aim of unconstitutionally removing Zanu-PF from office.

The US, the UK, the EU and many other Western organisations also imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe since December 2001, to "make the economy scream" and turn voters against the ruling Zanu-PF for the benefit of opposition parties.

However, Zanu-PF has presented the sanctions case to the electorate, who appear to have now understood that the economic challenges confronting the country are engineered by the West.

A few weeks ago, the local currency was under attack from forces thought by analysts to be largely from the West, which are desperately seeking to cause panic among citizens in general, and consumers in particular, so they get angry and vote against Zanu-PF.

But prices have started stabilising following interventions by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, bringing some relief to consumers.