adequate restrictions preventing high-ranking political party officeholders from being appointed as commissioners. The independence and impartiality of ZEC was questioned by human rights organizations and the nongovernmental Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network early on in the 2008 election voter registration process.110 In September 2007 the Constitutional Amendment Act No. 18 legislated for changes to the composition of the commission to be put in place before the 2008 elections.111 However, despite those amendments the impartiality and independence of the electoral commission is undermined by some of the provisions of the electoral laws that do not meet SADC standards that there be “impartiality of the electoral institutions.”112 For example, the state president continues to exercise too much control over the composition of the commission, there is excessive ministerial intervention, and there are inadequate safeguards to prevent partisanship on the part of commissioners. The Electoral Laws Amendment Act prohibits the secondment of military and civil servants and all other uniformed forces to ZEC and calls for the commission to have its own employees as opposed to military officers temporarily brought in from the army.113 However, the proposed overhauls came too late in the day to have a significant impact on ZEC and the election preparations, particularly the voter registration process. For example, there were no significant changes to the personnel and staff of the commission, in particular former or serving military officials. The chairman of ZEC, Justice George Chiweshe, is a former military officer, and was also head of the commission during Zimbabwe’s flawed 2005 elections.114 The opposition also informed Human Rights Watch that the official in charge of the ZEC in Manicaland province was a sitting military officer.115 110 Human Rights Watch interview with Noel Kututwa, February 7, 2008. 111 Constitutional Amendment Act No. 18, 2007. 112 SADC Principles and Guidelines, section 2.1.7. 113 Before amendments to the Electoral Act, the ZEC could require the chairpersons of commissions in charge of the public service and the uniformed services—the prison services, the defense services and the police service—to second their employees to serve under the control and direction of the ZEC as constituency election officers and polling officers. 114 Human Rights Watch, Not a Level Playing Field. 115 Human Rights Watch interview with Nelson Chamisa, February 21, 2008. 37 Human Rights Watch March 2008