The National Electoral Commission (CNE), the body responsible for supervising voter registration and electoral acts in Mozambique, revealed yesterday, Tuesday (06), that it still doesn't have enough budget to cover the costs of producing ballot papers for the candidates for President of the Republic, political parties and other contestants in the elections on October 9.

But after all, it's not just a lack of funds for the production of ballot papersThe CNE has also run out of funds to transfer to the 37 political parties due to take part in these elections. This is a fund that the political parties will have to purchase, among other materials to be used during the electoral campaign, which is scheduled to be launched on the 24th of this month.

This fund, worth more than 240 million meticais, the CNE must channel to the political parties 21 days before the start of the electoral campaign.

However, without giving details of the amount, CNE spokesman Paulo Cuinica said on the sidelines of the drawing of positions on the ballot paper and for the airtime of the competing political parties that there was a shortfall in the budget set aside for the electoral process, but assured that the CNE was working to resolve the problem.

"That's what we're doing. We are working and we believe that the Ministry of Economy and Finance is also working to find the money so that it can pay for the entire electoral process," said Cuinica, quoted by AIMHe added that even with this deficit, the process is continuing.

According to the spokesman, the money to be channelled to the parties is expected to increase, in a decision that is based on the cost of living in the national and international markets, where goods and services are purchased to support the parties' logistics during the 45 days of the election campaign.

(Photo VOA)