BALLOT News X Issue No. 2 September 2007 The impact of... THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL Amendment No.18 Further, the Bill seeks to increase the number of constituencies from 120 to 200, which will then be divided into 50 senatorial constituencies. There is no information as to The electoral process and the rights of a voter when this exercise will be undertaken, and By Irene Petras can be affected at any of the following stages: how the public, the civil society and political he Constitution of Zimbabwe pre-polling (including delimitation of parties will be able to input and/or scrutinize Amendment (No.18) Bill, 2007 (“the Bill”) constituencies and voter registration), polling the process. A mobile voter registration was gazetted on 8 June 2007 and has stirred exercise has recently ended, and potential day, and the post-polling period. considerable public debate. Some have voters should have registered to appear in welcomed it as a means of “streamlining” the the constituencies in which they will vote. electoral process and reducing costs by Delimitation of Constituencies Without knowledge of how the boundaries allowing presidential and parliamentary a n d I m p a c t o n V o t e r have or will change it is clear that, on polling elections to be held simultaneously; some day, a large number of voters will be turned Registration have shown satisfaction at the proposed away and fail to cast their ballot as a result of introduction of a Zimbabwe Human Rights The proposed amendments relating to being in the wrong constituency. This has Commission, ostensibly in line with delimitation of constituencies give rise to occurred previously and it can only be several concerns. Already, there exist Zimbabwe's international assumed that in 2008 it will be on obligations. However others a larger scale and significantly "Leadership should come from the people. see this Bill as yet a further affect the outcome of the poll. attempt to tamper with an People should see that you have the right already fatally flawed The Bill seeks to increase the leadership qualities to become their leader. constitution to further impinge percentage for variation of Let people elect you because you have the on the fundamental rights of numbers of voters per citizens and to further the potential." Robert Mugabe. constituency from 20% to 25% (a interests of the privileged and significant number) without partisan elite at the expense of justification. With the addition of the long-suffering public. Rather than consult concerns about the lack of independence of an extra 80 constituencies, there is serious widely with the public and produce a long the Delimitation Commission (DC), and these potential for gerrymandering. In previous called-for “people-driven constitution”, have not been addressed in the Bill. elections constituency boundaries have lawmakers are seen as once again ignoring Members of the DC are appointed by the been redrawn to provide significant the demands of the people for short-term President in consultation with the Chief advantage to candidates of the ruling party Justice (who himself is appointed by the gain. without need to justify the change. Areas President). Further, it is intended to have the where there is significant support for the At face value, and in what can be described delimitation report submitted to the President ruling party have been subdivided into as a “normal” political, socio-economic and for approval and potential re-working. As an individual constituencies to increase the legislative environment, it is likely that many electoral candidate himself, and as leader of number of seats being awarded to this party's of the intended amendments would not face a political party, it is clear that the President is candidates. In areas considered to be much popular resistance. However, if one an interested individual and should have no opposition party strongholds, rural has regard to the implications of this Bill, it is role in such an important exercise as drawing constituencies have been combined with the clear that there will be a considerable of constituency boundaries or approval of its urban to dilute support and numbers of negative impact on the running and outcome outcome. These responsibilities should rest opposition seats. This is likely to occur on a at the very least with Parliament. of the 2008 elections and beyond. wider scale in 2008. Continued on page 15 on THE 2008 ELECTIONS T X 14