Many people in Zimbabwe are angry, and their anger is now erupting into open revolt in one 8 township after another. Whilst there was a relative relaxation of community access and gathering ahead of 2018 Harmonized Elections, AIPPA and POSA remains unconstitutionally inhibitive and therefore against Sections 58, 61 and 62 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act 2013. 3.2.3. Opening to International Observers The government showed its commitment to a transparent and credible 2018 Harmonized Elections by inviting international election observers. It justified the invitations on the ―desire to have transparency in the election process and perhaps the country's pride to show ―...democracy in 9 action." There were positive responses from both regional and international observers. These included the Commonwealth and the European Union invited after a period of sixteen years. The international observers were allowed into the country for a longer period and completed their observation missions without confrontations with the government. In 2002, for example, the head of the European Union observer mission, Pierre Schori, ―was thrown out of Zimbabwe on the eve 10 of presidential elections. In the intervening years, the EU did not send missions to other Zimbabwe polls. The presence of international election observers in Zimbabwe's 2018 Harmonized Elections was important in determining the integrity of the election. 3.3 Administrative Improvements by ZEC 11 3.3.1. ZEC Assumption of Voter Registration; BVR Process and Voter Education The period saw ZEC assuming its full constitutional responsibility of voter registration and compiling voters' rolls and registers as mandated by Section 239 (c) and (d) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013. The initial arrangement where the Registrar General registered voters and compiled the voters roll was masked with bureaucratic and accountability challenges. ZEC's adoption of BVR regenerated some trust on the integrity and credibility of Zimbabwe's electoral process and helped in reducing mistrust and irregularities. The BVR blitz that started on 10 October 2017 and extended for an additional month after 10 January 2018 to ―mop up made a fair outreach to all parts of the country. ZEC's deliberate collaboration with organizations that have a mass mobilization authority such as Churches was commendable. It was an effective strategy by ZEC, for example, to negotiate space in Church masses to provide the much needed voter awareness education to congregants. Publicity campaigns made by ZEC using fliers and pamphlets, public radio and television programs and door to door voter education activities were critical and valuable. 3.3.2. ZEC Dialogue and Engagements with Stakeholders – Multi-liaison Committees' Meetings There was some commitment by ZEC to discuss and engage on electoral issues with both FBOs and CSOs. The Political Parties, FBOs and CSOs Forum Dialogues or Multi-party Liaison Committee Meetings convened by ZEC provided opportunities for feedback, updates and deliberations on electoral reforms. There were instances where ZEC was responsive to the stakeholder complains. During one of the last Multi-party Liaison meeting convened by ZEC on 24 July 2018, for example, ZEC accepted to keep voting booths as they had been placed traditionally facing the wall. This decision was made against an earlier unilateral change by ZEC where voting booths had to face polling officer. ZEC's responsiveness was a positive attempt to fulfil Section 239 (k) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013 where ZEC is challenged ―to receive and consider complains from the public and to take such action in regard to 12 the complains as it considers appropriate. 8 God Hears the Cry of the Oppressed: Pastoral Letter by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference on the Current Crisis of our Country: Holy Thursday, 5 April 2007 9 Zimbabwe Minister of Foreign Affairs during the signing of Election Observers Memorandum of Understanding with the European Union in May 2018. Also see ―EU to observe zimbabwe Polls for the First Time in 16 years on https://www.news24.com/Africa/Zimbabwe/eu-to-observe-zimbabwe-polls-for-first-time-in-16-years-20180528 Accessed on 8 August 2018 10 See ―Zimbabwe Expels EU Chief Observerǁ in The Telegraph on https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/1385165/Zimbabwe-expels-EUchief-observer.html Accessed 8 August 2018 11 A voter registration process that, in addition to the personal details of the voter, captures voters' fingerprints, iris and facial recognition. 12 See Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013 6