The new political dispensation was, however, on a charm offensive, trying to send the right signals economically to both the local population and international community. President Mnangagwa in his first week issued an order for those who had externalized foreign currency to return the money by March 2018 with no questions asked and also pronounced a zero-tolerance attitude to corruption especially by public officials. The President also engaged multiple stakeholders including business and the youth on his vision for economic development and seeking inputs on same issues, ahead of his attendance of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The President´s message in Davos was that Zimbabwe is open for business and ready to be a partner in the Commonwealth of Nations. This positive messaging was also part of the environment in which the ZEC BVR process was conducted. 5. LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK The BVR system launched in 2017 was designed to facilitate the compilation of a new voters’ roll under the management of the ZEC. This change entailed changes to the legal and institutional framework of managing voter registration and accommodating the new BVR system. ZEC therefore, is the central pillar of the BVR process based on its constitutional mandate to register voters and to compile the voters’ rolls, as provided for in the 2013 Constitution. This section specifically gives ZEC exclusive powers to register voters and to compile and maintain the voters’ rolls. Section 239 of the Constitution, provides ZEC with the mandate “to register voters; to compile voters rolls and registers; and to ensure the proper custody and maintenance of voters rolls and registers”. The institutional changes to voter registration entailed by the new constitution are supposed to provide ZEC with greater independence, which should facilitate the production of a higher quality voters’ roll. The voter registration process and compilation of a new voters’ roll is thus a major test of character for ZEC. 5.1 Rules of Eligibility for Voter Registration The registration of voters is a central process in the electoral system. It is the primary determinant of who is eligible to vote in an election. While all citizens over the age of 18 are eligible to vote, only those who are registered and appear on the voters roll can actually participate in the voting process. Voter registration must, therefore, be inclusive so that all persons who are eligible to vote can register. This constitutional right to vote makes voter registration integral, while the credibility of the BVR system in turn hinges upon its ability to facilitate the registration of all persons who are eligible to vote. However, specific details regarding methods of registration are left to legislative and administrative functions of ZEC. Section 67 of the Declaration of Rights in Zimbabwe’s Constitution guarantees that every citizen who is 18 years and above has the right to make political choices and to vote freely and in secret during elections. Section 155(2) (a) of the Constitution fortifies the duty of the State to ensure that every eligible citizen is registered and able to vote. It also compels the state to “…ensure that all eligible citizens, that is to say, the citizens qualified under the Fourth Schedule, are registered as voters”. 18