Zimbabwe Electoral Commission will need $ 274 m to finance the 2018 presidential and parliamentary elections , in which President Robert Mugabe plans to contest .
Zimbabwe is suffering severe cash shortages and Mugabe ’ s government is struggling to pay its workers on time while many businesses can’ t fund the imports they need .
Rita Makarau, the commission’ s chairperson , told a parliamentary committee that she was confident the national treasury would make the money available .
“A consolidated budget requirement has since been submitted to treasury for funding in the sum of $ 274 m, ” said Makarau , adding that a new voter register would be completed by December .
Mugabe , 94 , has been in power since Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain in 1980 and is bidding for another five-year term , his last allowed under the constitution.
Elections should be held not more than 30 days before Aug. 22 , 2018, unless Parliament elects to dissolve itself , which would trigger an early vote, the constitution states.
On July 12 , Zimbabwean police sprayed tear gas and fired water cannon at opposition supporters protesting against what they say is the slow pace of electoral reforms ahead of 2018 polls .
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