From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: ZIMBABWE: STORM CLOUDS GATHERING OV
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 22:50:06 GMT

Area: Europe, eastern
Reference: Trade & Finance
Title: ZIMBABWE: STORM CLOUDS GATHERING OVER PARTY FINANCING BILL


harare, aug 21 (ips/andrew zhakata) -- storm clouds are
gathering with opposition parties furious over a government
bill tabled in parliament wednesday, on the financing of
political parties.

the controversial bill seeks to provide financial assistance
to political parties with more than 15 members of parliament,
discriminating against the small parliamentary opposition which at
the moment fails to qualify.

presenting the bill, emmerson munangagwa, minister of justice,
legal and parliamentary affairs, said under the political parties
(finance) bill, registered political parties will be entitled to
receive financial assistance from the state.

each year the ministry of justice will publish a notice in the
government gazette specifying the total amount payable.

''the total amount will be shared between the parties in
proportion to their elected representatives in parliament,
though parties with fewer than 15 seats in parliament will not
be entitled'', said munangagwa.

the bill should sail through a parliament by the end of
september in which the ruling zimbabwe african national union
patriotic front (zanu-pf) holds all but three of the 150 seats.

however, zimbabwe's six opposition parties have lambasted the
bill and accused president robert mugabe, who has been at the helm
for 12 years, of trying to feather zanu-(pf)'s nest and to revive
the idea of a one-party state.

''to present such a bill is unconstitutional. zanu-(pf) is at
its monkey tricks again of trying to revive the one-party idea. it
wants to fill its coffers at the expense of the already
over-burdened tax-payers'', edgar tekere, leader of the
zimbabwe unity movement (zum) which has only two parliamentary
seats.

the liberation movement zanu-(pf), came to power in 1980 after
a landslide victory in zimbabwe's first, independence,
parliamentary elections. in its 1989 manifesto, zanu-(pf) sought
to establish a marxist-leninist single-party state, which was
finally abandoned due to strong domestic and international
opposition.

wurayayi zembe, publicity secretary of the newly formed
democratic party (dp) said the bill was a scandalous legislation
posing a threat to democratic changes taking place in the country.
(more/ips)


zimbabwe: storm (2)

''we condemn this bill outrightly. the government should
know its priorities. it must first of all reduce its expenditure,
tackle the problem of inflation and budget deficit before
considering financing political parties'', zembe told ips.

drought-hit zimbabwe is still battling with a budget deficit
representing 9.1 percent of the gross domestic product. the rate
of inflation which has become the country's bane increased from
about 28 percent in 1991 to 43 percent this year and is expected
to rise to 50 percent by the end of 1992.

economic adjustment reforms introduced in 1991 have
had a heavy impact on the majority of zimbabwe's 10.8 million
people.

''these are the problems we want addressed first before the
government talks of trying to give money to political parties'',
said ndabaningi sithole, leader of zanu ndonga who returned home
in january this year from america where he was in self-exile for
more than seven years.

although mugabe's party is losing popularity, partly a product
of the economic decline, zimbaweans are also bitter about the
opposition parties who are generally perceived as lacking
credibility.

(story received incomplete)



-- 
Mr. Aaron Barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us -- posting from Evanston, Illinois