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THE government, which has requested financial assistance from the
international community to bankroll general elections likely to be held
this year, is procrastinating a United Nations needs assessment mission
to visit Zimbabwe to determine the country's requirements for the
plebiscite.
Earlier last month, Finance Minister Tendai Biti and Justice and
Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa wrote on behalf of government
to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident
representative requesting at least US$250 million for both the
referendum and the general elections.
UNDP had responded by saying it would need to dispatch a fact-finding
mission to Zimbabwe to access how much the country would need for the
harmonised polls ZANU-PF wants held by June 29.
But The Financial Gazette can exclusively reveal that Harare is still
to respond to a letter by the UN Focal Point of February 15, stating
the regular terms of reference of the proposed needs assessment mission
for consideration by the government.
"As of 15 March 2013, the United Nations awaits clearance from the
Government of Zimbabwe on the dispatching of the needs assessment
mission," a spokesperson of the UNDP disclosed in response to questions
from The Financial Gazette this week.
According to the UNDP, a needs assessment mission constitutes the
first step in responding to a request from a member state for electoral
support submitted to the UN.
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