Delimitation Commission did not have adequate time to complete the delimitation process. The number of those registered to vote was divided by 120 constituencies to provide the average number of voters per constituency. At that time, the Constitution also provided that the variations of the total number of voters for each constituency should not exceed plus or minus 20%. The methodology used was to treat the provinces as administrative entities. Constituencies allocated per province were established by dividing the total number of registered voters per province by the average number of voters per constituency and then rounded off.3 Interestingly, provinces of Bulawayo, Harare and Mashonaland West each lost one constituency, while provinces of Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland South and Midlands each gained one constituency by 2000. 4 This is in comparison to the number of constituencies that existed in 1995. In its 2000 delimitation report, the Delimitation Commission stated that it had endeavored to ensure equal numbers of voters in all constituencies and had, as far as possible, sought to preserve communities of interest, avoiding combining rural and urban areas. Nevertheless it is not clear how urban areas lost constituencies, considering the extent of ruralurban migration. In 2000, the interim report was submitted on 12 May, and the final report only on 24 May, five days before the nomination of candidates. Although opposition parties objected to some constituencies losing seats and other gaining5 – with a noticeable trend of rural gaining and urban losing – no tangible action was taken to rectify this. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had to petition the court to have nomination day moved as the delimitation report had been received late. Complaints were also raised by other political parties that ZANU PF had information on constituency boundaries earlier than other parties. 6 In this instance, a ZANU PF Minister of Justice, had access to the delimitation report before it was transmitted to 3 Available at <https://www.eisa.org.za/wep/zimdelimit.htm> Last accessed 9 December 2015. 4 As above. 5 Zimbabwe elections observer mission report, The Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries page 28. 6 Cheater A ‘Human rights and Zimbabwe’s elections’ – A Report produced by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Research Unit, January 2001. 4|Page