Complaints, appeals and election petitions The Electoral Act provides for a number of conflict management mechanisms, including the Electoral Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates, the Multi-Party Liaison Committees and the Electoral Court. The Fourth Schedule of the Electoral Act outlines the Electoral Code of Conduct for Political Party and Candidates. The code binds the political parties, candidates and their supporters regarding their conduct throughout the electoral process. The Multi-Party Liaison Committees are established to resolve disputes, concerns, matters or grievances relating to the electoral process, including disputes arising from allegations concerning non-compliance with the Electoral Code. The committees are established by the ZEC and comprise an electoral commissioner and two representatives of each political party contesting in elections. The decisions of the committee are achieved by consensus. Section 161 of the Electoral Act establishes the Electoral Court, which is a division of the High Court. The court has exclusive jurisdiction to hear appeals, applications and petitions in relation to the Electoral Act, and to review any decision of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. All judgments, orders and directions of the Electoral Court are enforceable in the same way as those of the High Court. However, the court has no jurisdiction to try criminal cases. The court is presided over by two judges of the High Court. The Electoral Act also outlines electoral offences liable for prosecution. These offences include illegal and corrupt practices, such as bribery; treating; undue influence; impersonation; illegal voting; false statements; and intimidation. These offences are punishable by a fine or imprisonment or both. Election petitions may be presented for any election. Presidential election petitions are to be presented to the Constitutional Court. Any aggrieved candidate may present a presidential petition. A petition must be submitted within seven days of the declaration of official results. The Constitutional Court has 14 days from the filing of the petition to adjudicate. The court may declare a winner or invalidate an election, calling for a fresh election within 60 days. Parliamentary and local government petitions are presented to the Electoral Court. Any candidate may present a petition of an undue return or an undue election by reason of want of qualification, electoral malpractice, irregularity or any other cause. Parliamentary petitions must be submitted within 14 days of the official declaration of results and the petition should be determined within six months. Decisions of the court on the question of law are subject to appeal to the Supreme Court. All petitions are heard in open court. 18