ZIMBABWE: PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS - 2005 14 The Count in the Polling Stations The count in the polling stations took place in an orderly manner. There were incidents where observers and allegedly also party agents were not allowed to observe the count. There were also a number of places where the results had to be verified at the constituency level before being posted at the polling station, and in some places the observers were detained inside the polling station until that had happened, which violates the idea behind changing the system to counting votes at the polling station. Tabulation and Publication of Results The Process The compilation of results was done in two steps: First, the ballots were counted in the polling stations and a protocol was drawn up accordingly. Then, the protocols were taken to the constituency election officer where the results were compiled. This was a new process, replacing a system where all ballots were taken to the constituency counting centres, mixed and counted together. The change was done to enhance the transparency of the process and increase the security. The reformed process adheres to the SADC principles. Previously, when all ballot boxes were collected and counted at one constituency counting centre, it was impossible to trace results to the polling stations, the process went on for a very long time, and there were a lot of suspicions about the counting process. The new law states in Article 64: (1) After the counting is completed the presiding officer shall without delay — … (b) display the completed polling-station return to those present and afford each candidate or his or her election agent the opportunity to subscribe their signatures thereto; and (c) personally transmit to the constituency elections officer the polling-station return certified by himself or herself to be correct: … (2) Immediately after arranging for the polling-station return to be transmitted in terms of paragraph (c) of subsection (1), the presiding officer shall affix a copy of the polling-station return on the outside of the polling station so that it is visible to the public.