The new budget, worked out by CNE and the Electoral Administration technical Secretariat (STAE) is fixed at 34 million US dollars, compared with the 45 million US dollars initially estimated.
The budget had to be adjusted because the country has only 13 million of the necessary amount, and the European Union, the main funder of the Mozambican elections, has already declared that it is not prepared to disburse any money for this process.
Addressing a press conference, following a meeting with the chairperson of the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, Eduardo Mulembue, CNE chairperson Joao Leopoldo da Costa said that it will be possible to conduct elections with this amount without jeopardising their quality.
'We conducted an assessment of the existing resources and we worked with the National Statistics Institute to allow us to make use of the vehicles being used for the General Population and Housing Census, that is to end next Wednesday', said da Costa, explaining how was it possible to reduce the costs of the election process.
He said that his organ is also working with other institutions to allow it to use their vehicles after the population census.
Speaking to reporters, Mulembwe described this agreement between CNE and STAE that made it possible to reduce the costs of the electoral process as 'good news'.
'That gives us the guarantee that 'it is possible to conduct elections', he said, describing the current level of shortage of funds in these organs as 'a small constraint, that cannot hinder the good running of the process'.
In this Tuesday's meeting, the two discussed issues related to the calendar of the electoral process, and Mulembwe acknowledged that CNE and STAE have been working against the clock.
He also stressed the need for the Assembly of the Republic to give its contribution to facilitate the work of these two electoral organs, which include publishing the preliminary lists of the seats that every province and district should have in their respective assemblies.
One of the next activities of CNE is a voter registration from scratch, that is to take place between 24 September and 22 November this year.
SOURCE: AIM
