Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Report — Of Stuffed ballots and Empty Stomachs occurred being in the first few hours of polling. However, in some instances local knowledge would have been required to properly observe what was happening at the polling stations. a. Traditional Leaders Village headmen and traditional leaders played a crucial role on behalf of ZANU(PF) in the rural areas. Government had granted them a 150% salary increase and a generous allowance for the purchase of vehicles a few months before the elections.60 Traditional leaders were reported as using various pressures to ensure that people registered as voters in their areas. 61 In numerous constituencies the traditional leaders threatened that people who voted for the MDC would be expelled from the area or would be denied food aid. In many instances, village headmen ensured that people voted by “accompanying them” to the polling stations. Some positioned themselves at the polling stations and recorded the names of villagers voting. In other instances, known ZANU(PF) activists recorded the names of people coming to vote. Accordingly several of the reforms introduced – a large number of polling stations, and the division of the ballot boxes into three alphabetical groups, and counting at polling stations – was a double-edged sword. With a small number of voters at each polling station, voters may have felt that the secrecy of the vote was compromised. Traditional leaders had a strong presence during the voting process. Some were reported as taking up positions near polling stations, some were alleged to be actually standing at the entrances to the polling station. Others were appointed as election agents for ZANU(PF). Many took down the names of people arriving at the polling stations and openly told them for whom to vote.62 b. Assisted Voting The Electoral Act makes provision for assisted voting for illiterate or disabled persons. The assistance is provided by the Presiding Officer, in the presence of a monitor and police officer.63 Such persons cannot be assisted by friends or relatives. There were several reports of people being pressurized into requesting assistance even when they clearly did not require such help. For example, the candidate for Chimanimani Constituency reported that at one polling station 330 out of 426 voters were marked as requiring assistance, a highly improbable proportion.64 60 61 62 63 MDC Report on the 2005 Parliamentary Elections. ZESN Report p 22. This complaint is raised in alomost all of the 13 Election Petitions. Sections 59 and 60 of the Electoral Act. 64 See Election Petition of Heather Bennett para 37. 20