- done, it is explained, “to ensure that their respective databases, as they relate to the eligibility or potential eligibility of voters, are in harmony with each other.” The section also provides that, “The Commission and the former Registrar-General of Voters in his or her capacity as the Registrar-General of Births and Deaths, the RegistrarGeneral of Citizenship and the Registrar-General of National Registration, have a duty to cooperate with each other to ensure that their respective databases, as they relate to the eligibility or potential eligibility of voters, are in harmony with each other. - Section 3 The new section 18(5) of the Electoral Act gives the Minister power to make regulations, after consultation with the Commission and the former Registrar-General of Voters, The regulations may provide for the following: (a) the manner of dealing with any confidential information in the custody of the former Registrar-General of Voters and the conditions under which it may be shared with the Commission; and (b) the resolution of any discrepancies between the records General of Citizenship and the Registrar-General of National Registration, as will ensure the efficient, free, fair, proper and transparent conduct of any election or referendum.” This provision is troubling as it clearly brings back the RGV through the backdooran office that has been abolished by this particular amendment. Its retention even in a qualified role is astounding, given the troubled history of the RGV’s office and the role it has played in overseeing disputed elections in the past decade. Even more crucially the import of the amendment is to bring back institutions that have clearly been made redundant by the constitution. The amendment restores the very mischief the Constitution sought to address. The thread of the worrying provisions of the amendment continues through section of 4 of part VI of which seems to put a constitutionally entrenched body at the same level with the office of the Registrar General. The section puts a burden on the Commission by providing that, “The Commission and the former RGV…… have a duty to cooperate with each other” in relation to the eligibility of voters. The RGV’s office has clearly been brought hack through the back door. It is quite clear that the Constitution sees no role for the office of the RGV in election management bodies. The amendments to the electoral Act are, with respect, unconstitutional and should be repealed to the extent articulated above. This amendment is troubling in a number of ways: - - Firstly such an intrusive power into information regarding the voters rolls amounts to interference with the mandate of a constitutionally mandated body. These powers are not supported by any constitutional provision and are clearly unconstitutional Secondly, from the reading of the provision the minister is given a free reign to come up with the regulations without taking into consideration of the views of the Commission, as confirmed by the