A Zimbabwean opposition party has criticized President Robert Mugabe for accepting an allegedly illegal $1 million campaign donation pledged by Libyan leader Muammar Kadhafi.
Kadhafi, who was in Zimbabwe two weeks ago, pledged well over $900 000 in campaign funds for the election next year, in addition to an extra $360 million to end Zimbabwe's current fuel crisis.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) secretary for legal affairs, David Coltart, was quoted by Allafrica news agency as saying that if Mughabe’s ruling party, Zanu PF, accepted Kadhafi’s donation, it would be breaking the law.
The controversial Political Parties (Finance) Act passed earlier this year at the instigation of Zanu PF legislators prohibits foreign funding for political parties, said the news service.
"No political party or candidate shall accept any foreign donation, whether directly from the donor or indirectly through a third person. Furthrmore, "... any donation accepted by a member of a political party shall be deemed to have been accepted by the political party unless the member willfully fails to disclose such donation to the political party," the act stipulates.
"This is yet another example of Zanu PF's hypocrisy. They pass a law, which we said was directed at undermining the MDC. They had never worried about foreign funding before and their intention all along was to undermine the MDC. They are now breaking their own law,” said Coltart.
But Zanu PF's secretary for legal affairs, Patrick Chinamasa, denied there had been any donation, contrary to news widely reported in the national and international media when the pledge was made.
"I am not aware of any such pledge. It would be illegal because of the act. Where did you hear of the donation?" said Chinamasa, who is also the minister of justice, legal and parliamentary affairs.
The party's deputy secretary for finance, Solomon Tawengwa, also said he was not aware of the donation by Kadhafi.
"I am not involved in it, I really don't know about that money," he told the agency.
The two countries have agreed on a deal expected to end the energy crisis in the Sub-Saharan country, under which Libya will supply Zimbabwe with oil in return for Zimbabwean products – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
