ZIMBABWE’S legislators have reached a cross-party consensus to block passage of the 2011 national budget if the coalition government fails to increase their monthly salaries to US$3000.

Tensions have been palpable between members of parliament and the executive with the legislators particularly incensed by President Robert Mugabe’s recent declaration that elections to choose a new government must be held by June next year.

The legislators wrote to Mugabe demanding compensation if the election goes ahead arguing that their current terms – which were due to end in 2013 - would be unfairly cut short.

The MPs have also been unhappy with their salaries which are currently pegged at around US$400 and on Friday threatened not to pass the 2011 budget unless government reviews their conditions of services.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti presented the budget in parliament on Thursday.

Zanu PF legislator for Mwenezi East Kudakwashe Bhasikiti moved the motion calling for the salary increase which was unanimously by the lower house.

"I want to appeal to Honourable Members that opportunity knocks on your door once in your lifetime and this opportunity that is before us today — we should not miss it.

"This is the last (Budget) knowing very well that next year there will be elections; we will be walking into poverty. It is common cause that if you want to control people, what you do first is to impoverish them then you subject them; this is what is happening,” Paddy Zhanda, the Zanu PF MP for Goromonzi told state media.

He added that the government’s failure to adequately reward MPs and civil servants encouraged corruption.

"We have pretended to put up institutions that have not delivered at all — the Anti-Corruption Commission which has never prosecuted anybody despite various allegations of corrupt practices.

"Why is it difficult to do business in Zimbabwe? It’s because you are knocking on the door of a permanent secretary who earns US$200 with a US$10 million project, it does not make sense,” he said.

The MPs are also demanding new vehicles arguing they had effectively been reduced to pedestrians while cabinet ministers and members of the judiciary had access to more than one vehicle.

"We are saying this Government should look more into the plight of civil servants, MPs and everybody who works for it instead of giving priority to foreign trips and parastatals that are getting broke, that are being siphoned by others in the executive,” said Tangwara Matimba, the MDC-T representative for Buhera Central.

However analysts have warned that blocking the budget could force an early election since the action might render the state dysfunctional.