President Michael Sata’s induced parliamentary by-elections have so far gobbled close to a whopping K100 billion, a development that forced the Head of State to issue a hurried statement at the weekend claiming the country had about US $2.4 million in reserves.
Sources have told Zambia Reports that President Sata was forced to issue the statement after intense pressure from donors and financial experts who are projecting a budget overrun following strains on the budget created by the unplanned by-elections.
The sources say only K5 billion was set aside for the by-elections in the 2013 budget but that this amount is the minimum the country, through the Electoral Commission of Zambia, would use for a single by election.
But according to expert sources a minimum of K5 billion was the least spent on the lowest budget for the by-elections that have occurred between September 2011 and June 2013.
The sources say some of the by-elections have cost the country between K7 billion and K10 billion as the Electoral Commission of Zambia has requested more resources to hold the elections.
“There is a serious strain on the budget. Not even the contingency funds are helping us. You will note that a minimum of K50 billion has gone to about 10 by-election,” the source explained.
According to the source, a minimum K75 billion was spent by ECZ while the President, his deputy, and Cabinet ministers have a different allocation which takes the total to close to K100 billion.
“These trips by the President, the Vice-President and ministers are being estimated at more than K2 billion per trip because they carry huge delegations. Now, if you look at the amount of money they are spending during the campaigns, it is ripping the budget apart and things are crumbling,” the source said.
“I challenge the PF to table how much they have spent during these by-elections. They can tell parliament what the actual cost of the by-elections is. They have put the country under so much pressure so the people must know.”
The source cautioned Zambians to prepare for further challenges ahead because there was no proper planning by President Sata’s administration.
President Michael Sata yesterday moved quickly to quell speculation his budget had collapsed describing such claims as premature, unwarranted and mischievous.
“Our foreign reserves currently stand at about US$2.4 Billion while the country has recorded over US$2 billion in investment pledges in various sectors of the economy in the first quarter of 2013,” President Sata claims.
“Similarly, non-traditional exports grew to US$530.7 million in the quarter of 2013, compared with US$500.9 million recorded during the same period in 2012. It is therefore, irresponsible to engage in extreme talk amidst such a robust national economic performance.”
Zambia is set to hold another four by-elections next month with a few more expected before the end of the year. President Sata petitioned more than 30 parliamentary by-elections and has embarked on poaching ‘hungry’ opposition members of parliament to increase legislative numbers to pass laws favourable to the PF.
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