Rights Watch on December 14, 2004 that there had been gerrymandering of constituencies to favor ZANU PF.33 The opportunity for voters to inspect the roll was flawed by lack of government advertisement, inadequate numbers of inspection centers, and rumors that, even after the rolls should have closed, the ruling party allowed its supporters to continue to register. Media reports claim that ZANU PF was instructing its supporters to continue to register and that voters’ registration was still occurring two weeks after the inspection period had ended in areas of Harare, Seke, and Lupane in Matabeleland North. This recalls voter registration abuses in the 2002 presidential election.34 Many urban voters were turned away because they had not complied with the proof of residency requirements.35 Lodgers must provide rates bill in their name and with their address, or a letter addressed in their name from a store with which they have a credit account, or a lodger’s card, which is an agreement with the renter. Even those living with their parents must prove that they are a “natural child”. In such cases, a parent must accompany them to obtain an affidavit from a lawyer, a commissioner of oaths, or the police. Rates bills are always in the landlord’s name, and the lodger’s card and the affidavit cost money and take time, thus straining resources. These demanding requirements lead to disenfranchisement, especially of urban youth. Sample audits of the voters’ roll indicate, as in previous elections, the need for a new transparent voters’ registration. David Coltart, MDC MP, Bulawayo South, hired seven activists to do a door to door audit of the voters’ roll. The police arrested the team on the grounds that Coltart needed permission for the exercise, and then released the group without charges. The MDC filed an application in the High Court in Bulawayo for permission to continue with the audit without police intervention. The judge granted the MDC request.36 It emerged in court that there were hundreds of ghost voters, with boundaries had already been redrawn by the Central Intelligence Organization. See IRIN (UN), September 16, 2004, “Opposition complain over composition of commission” and Afrol News (Norway), September 17, 2004, “Zimbabwe 2005 polls ‘already manipulated’”. In a Human Rights Watch interview with Dr. Matchaba-Hove, ZESN Chair, Harare, February 16, 2005, he said it seemed to him too that the delimitation was pre-arranged, as ZANU PF only needed two more seats at the time to ensure a 2/3 parliamentary majority and thus the ability to alter the constitution. 33 HRW interview, Bulawyo, December 14, 2004. 34 Sokwanele, Mauritius Watch, Issue 18, February 28, 2005, citing Zimbabwe Standard, February 20, 2005. 35 Human Rights Watch interview with Sydney Chisi, Zimbabwe Integrated Youth Survival Alternative Proram, National Advocacy Director, February 8, 2005. 36 Zimbabwe Independent, February 18, 2005, Conrad Dube/Loughty Dube, “Ghost voters unearthed”; Zim Online, February 18, 2005, “Opposition MP wins restraining order against police”. Zimbabwe Human Rights interview with Simon Spooner, MDC activist, Bulawayo, February 11, 2005. 10