electoral duties in a completely partisan fashion.”17 The Electoral Act also authorizes the ESC to second the uniformed services to perform electoral functions.18 Voters’ Registration: Continuing Discrimination The amended Electoral Act retains the proof of residency requirements from the 2002 election.19 As explained below, these requirements effectively disenfranchise many potential voters, especially urban youth. Since the opposition draws much support from urban youth, these requirements discriminate against it. When the Registrar-General’s office, under ESC supervision, conducted the voters’ registration from May to July 2004, the chair of ZESN, a network of civic organizations promoting democratic elections, and the MDC Secretary General, Welshman Ncube, complained that the exercise was not publicized.20 The MDC Secretary General also complained to the ESC chair about deliberate and systematic disenfranchisement through the neglect of urban voter registration and the concentration on rural voters’ registration.21 The then ESC chair, former military intelligence officer Sobusa GulaNdebele, conceded administrative and logistical problems and requested, without success, that the Registrar-General’s office extend the deadline for registration.22 These allegedly flawed voter registration figures became the basis for the delimitation of constituencies. On September 20, 2004, the voters’ roll containing 5.6 million registered voters was presented to Judge Chiweshe, the chair of the Delimitation Commission.23 ZESN’s chair said his organization had not seen a copy of the voters’ roll but “as far as we are concerned, a voter registration exercise is still to be done properly, and it is strange if the roll is completed already.”24 The MDC president claimed that analysis of a hard copy of the voters’ roll indicated “it had been manipulated to secure even further reductions in urban seats.”25 Pointing to inconsistencies in the roll which showed declines in the 17 Feltoe, 2005, pp.52-3. 18 Section 10, Electoral Act, 2005. 19 Section 23 of the Electoral Act; ZESN, The S.A.D.C. Electoral Principles and Guidelines, and Zimbabwe’s New Electoral Legislation. An Evaluation, p.17. 20 Zim Online, 8 July 2004, “Exposed: How ZANU PF has already rigged next year’s poll”; Zimbabwe Independent, 16 July 2004, Dumisani Muleya, “Ex-army officers to run polls”. 21 Zimbabwe Independent, 16 July 2004, Dumisani Muleya, “Ex-army officers to run polls”. 22 Zimbabwe Independent, 16 July 2004, Dumisani Muleya, “Ex-army officers to run polls”. 23 Daily Mirror, 21 September 2004, “Delimitation Commission to complete work in two months”. 24 Zimbabwe Independent, 29 October 2004, “Zesn calls for delay of parliamentary poll”. 25 Zimbabwe Independent, 29 October 2004, “Zesn calls for delay of parliamentary poll”. 8