Registrar-General is responsible for these tasks. Also, the Delimitation Commission, another body composed of presidential appointees, had already delimited electoral constituencies. The registration of voters, the inspection of the voters’ roll, and the delimitation of boundaries have all been tainted in the past because they have been conducted by government appointees in a non-transparent and discriminatory way. The Electoral Act The Electoral Act removes the president’s power to make regulations by statutory instruments. This is a positive step. However, the Justice Minister still retains the power to make regulations by statutory instrument. Legislating through hastily introduced regulations that do not require the approval of parliament was a hallmark of the 2002 presidential election. A number of retrogressive electoral measures introduced by statutory instrument in the past two national elections have been incorporated in the new electoral acts. These include proof of residency requirements, provisions relating to the invitation and accreditation of observers and to the restrictive use of postal ballots to government members. The amended Electoral Act retains the proof of residency requirements from the 2002 election. Proof of residency requirements effectively disenfranchise many potential voters, especially urban youth. Since the opposition draws much support from urban youth, these requirements discriminate against it. 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. Since rates bills are almost always in the landlord’s name, lodgers are unlikely to retain any bills in their name. The lodger’s card and the affidavit cost money and take time, thus straining resources. The Electoral Act provides for who invites and accredits observers, both foreign and local. Members of the government and the Electoral Supervisory Commission, which is made up of presidential appointees, are responsible for inviting and accrediting observers. This process of selecting observers does not favor the choice of independent observers. Moreover, the price of accreditation per observer is high and will inhibit the numbers of local observers that nongovernmental organizations can afford. The Electoral Act limits the use of the postal ballot to government employees on government business. The 3.4 million Zimbabweans living in exile because of the political and economic crisis in the country are unable to vote. 34