12 Figure 2. Comparison of the presence of militia: Electoral Irregularity Ratings and Violence Score 14 12 Score 10 8 Electoral Irregularity Rating Violence Score 6 4 2 0 no militia base militia base Presence of militia As is additionally seen from Figure 3 [see over], the same effect is found when we examined the detailed relationship between the presence of militia and the types of violence reported in the constituencies sampled. Here we were interested to see beneath a global construct, such as a Violence Score or an Electoral Irregularity Score, that physical violence, gender-based political violence, and various forms of political party violence are all much more frequently reported in constituencies where militia are also reported. However, the presence of militia may not only be associated with violence in the conventional sense. In a country in which physical violence has been extremely common according to all reputable sources – both local Zimbabwean and international sources – and where all reports have strongly implicated the youth militia in particular, it is evident that the presence of militia may have other inhibitory effects. Hence, we examined the relationship between the presence of militia and the interference with basic freedoms. As is seen in Table 15 [see over], the presence of reported militia seems to markedly elevate the percentage of constituencies reporting interference with some basic freedoms, but has had little effect on others. National Constitutional Assembly: Election Climate Reports.