Domestic legislative framework At the domestic level, the main legal instrument governing elections in Zimbabwe consists of the following; a. The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013-The Constitution has a number of provisions that enhance and promote the principles of democracy and good governance in line with regional and international laws. Section 67 provides for political rights while fundamental freedoms are provided for under Sections 58-61. A broader framework of elections and the functions of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) are provided for in Chapter 7 and Section 239 of the Constitution respectively.1 b. The Zimbabwe Electoral Act of 2008 as amended in 2018-The Act covers all aspects of the election including; timing of elections; registration of voters; preparation, compilation and maintenance of voters rolls; qualification of voters; nomination and election of candidates to Parliament, the office of President and local authorities; guidelines for voting and counting procedures; the Electoral Court and its functions, observation and accreditation of observers and voter education. The Electoral Act also provides for a polling centre based voters roll. Moreover, the Act sets out electoral malpractices, which are punishable at law e.g. defacing political posters, intimidating others, campaigning at the polling station etc; a code of conduct for all political parties participating in a general election; multi-party liaison committee, which is made up of political party representatives and ZEC; the dispute resolution mechanisms for election related maters and the electoral court, which hears election related matters/petitions. Regional and international framework Zimbabwe is party to international and regional treaties, which promote the holding of democratic elections and the political rights of citizens. These instruments include: ✓ The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1 See the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013 12

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