state employees, in particular senior members of the security forces, from engaging in conduct that unduly influences or has potential to unduly influence the election process. This conduct may include public statements that insinuate the unsuitability of candidates or parties that are qualified and eligible to participate in elections in Zimbabwe. This would deter such persons from conduct that has occurred in the past when senior security officers have issued public statements to the effect that they would only support an election result that favours certain candidates or parties but not other contestants. ZESN recommends the insertion of clauses in the electoral laws which would make it a punishable offence to engage in such conduct. It is therefore recommended that the Bill incorporates provisions to prohibit such conduct. The purpose of these prohibitions would be to ensure that senior employees of the state or staterelated institutions, including those that have a role in the elections process, such as the Attorney-General, exercise their powers impartially and in accordance with rules of fair-play. 6. Commission’s Exclusive Role in Elections 6.1 ZESN recommends that the Commission be given sole and exclusive responsibility for the management of elections, including in particular, the registration of voters and all matters concerning the voters roll. The current system whereby responsibility is shared between the Commission and the Registrar General’s Office causes confusion and dilutes accountability. 7. Monitoring Pre and Post-Election Violence in Polling Station-Based voting 7.1 If the proposed new system of polling station-based voters roll is used ZESN urges close monitoring to prevent pre and post election violence given the risk that it will be easier to identify voting patterns within the small communities around which polling station-based voters rolls will be created. The Commission is urged to have back-up measures to cover those situations where during an election voters are displaced from their polling stations, which would prevent them from voting under this proposed system. 8. Presidential Election 49