(a) Registrar General of Elections created in terms of section 15 of the Electoral Act;

The Registrar General of Elections is responsible for the registration of voters and the conduct of Local Authority, parliamentary and presidential Elections and Referendums.

(b) The Elections Directorate created in terms of the Electoral Act;

The Elections Directorate is responsible for mobilising material, financial and logistical support from line Ministries in support of the Registrar General of Elections and the electoral process.

The Delimitation Commission is appointed every 5 years and is responsible for the delimitation of constituencies.

The Electoral Supervisory Commission is responsible for supervising voter registration and the conduct of electoral process.

2. The voting period is over 2 days in respect of Local Authority, Parliamentary and Presidential Elections and Referendums. Verification and counting commences on the 3rd day.

3. To avoid double voting, invisible indelible ink is used and detector machines are used to identify whether prospective voters have already voted.

4. The electoral system is constituency based and the country is divided into 120 constituencies. Counting of votes takes place at one constituency centre. The Constitution and the Electoral Law provide for residential qualifications for voters.

5. Wooden ballot boxes are used during polling.

6. Mobile polling centres are used to reach sparsely populated inaccessible areas of the country such as national parks.

7 Voters who, through, illiteracy or disability are unable to vote without assistance, are assisted by the Presiding Officer who marks the ballot paper in accordance with the wishes of the voter and in the presence of an election monitor and a police officer.

8. The Electoral Supervisory Commission accredits both monitors and observers. Observers, both local and foreign, come to observe upon invitation by the relevant authorities.

9. Disputes emanating from the electoral process go to the High Court for determination and there is no time frame within which to resolve electoral petitions.

10. Reasonable and equitable access to public media by contesting parties and candidates is afforded during the election period.

B. Proposed Electoral Reforms

1. The Electoral Supervisory Commission and the Delimitation Commission will be retained as currently provided.

2. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is to be established to take over the functions of the Registrar General of Elections and the Elections Directorate. It will become the authority to conduct Local Authority, Parliamentary and Presidential Elections and Referendums. In this respect, the Registrar General of Elections post is to be abolished. Directorate will also be abolished. The Elections

3. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission will consist of a Chairperson appointed by the President after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission and 4 other Commissioners appointed by the President from a list of seven nominees submitted by the Committee of Parliament on Standing Rules and Orders. All parties represented in Parliament are represented.

4. The proposed functions of the Commission shall be as follows: -

(i) to prepare for and conduct -

· elections to the Office of President and to Parliament; and

· elections to the governing bodies of local authorities ; and

• referendums

and to ensure that those elections and referendums are conducted efficiently, freely, fairly, transparently and in accordance with the law; and

(ii) to direct and control the registration of voters by the authority charged with that responsibility under an Act of Parliament; and

(iii) to compile voters' rolls and registers; and

(iv) to ensure the proper custody and maintenance of voters' rolls and registers; and

(v) to design, print and distribute ballot papers, approve the form of and procure ballot boxes, and establish and operate polling centres; and

(vi) to conduct voter education; and

(vii) to give instructions to-

· the Registrar-General of Voters in regard to the exercise of his or her functions under the Electoral Act; and

· other persons in the employment of the State or of a local authority for the purpose of ensuring the efficient, proper, free and fair conduct of elections; and

(viii) to exercise any other functions that may be conferred or imposed on the Commission by the Electoral Act or any other enactment.

5. The tenure of office of the Commissioners is secured and Commissioners cannot be removed or dismissed unless upon the recommendation of an independent disciplinary committee.

6. Parliament will provide the finances of the Commission and in order to preserve its integrity, donations to the Commission will not be permitted.

7. The Commission will appoint its Chief Elections Officer to manage the affairs and property of the Commission.

8. The Commission is charged with the responsibility to conduct voter education and to produce voter education materials. Political parties are allowed to conduct voter education. Other organisations are also allowed to conduct voter education but under the supervision of the Commission. No foreign contribution or donation is allowed towards voter education unless it is channelled through the Commission.

9. The voting period is to be reduced to one day.

10. Verification of ballot papers and counting is to commence immediately after end of voting.

11. Counting of ballot papers is to be done at the polling station.

12. Collation of polling station results will be done at the Ward or Constituency Collating.

13. The polling station is to be divided into 3 voting compartments. The first compartment with cater for persons with surnames A - L, the second compartment will cater for persons with surnames starting with M and the third compartment will cater for persons with surnames N - Z.

14. Mobile polling centres are to be abolished.

15. Visible indelible ink is to be introduced.

16. The Office of the Registrar General of Voters is to be established and will be responsible for the registration of voters countrywide.

17. Reasonable and equitable access to public media by contesting parties during election period is to be granted. The broadcasting authorities are to come up with regulations to regulate such access.

18. Elections Court to resolve election disputes is to be established and provision is made that election disputes be resolved and finalised within 6 months.

19. A ballot paper is to be designed to include:-

• a symbol of the party;
• the name of the party, if any;
• the name of the candidate;
• the photograph of the candidate.