➢ Regular intervals for election as provided for by the respective National Constitutions ➢ Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and to be voted for ➢ Voter Education According to Section 7.13 of the SADC Principles and Guidelines governing democratic elections, SADC Member States are required to “Allow members of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to communicate freely with all competing political parties, candidates, other political organizations and organizations and civil society organizations.” The proposed legislation will effectively weaken and interfere NGOs that deal with elections and other governance issues, and this will be a direct violation of the principles and guidelines of SADC. Section 7 of the SADC document demands that member states should “Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens including the freedom of movement, assembly, association, expression and campaigning....” ZESN therefore feels that it is part of its mandate to follow this up to ensure that implementation of such requirements are complied with effectively. The Zimbabwean head of state put his signature to the whole process in Mauritius, and it is the role of civil society organizations to monitor that the state implements these rules. The NGO Bill is in contradiction with the above principles and the spirit espoused by the document and existing regional and international conventions signed by Zimbabwe especially since the NGO Bill was gazetted soon after the signing of the SADC Principles and Guidelines. ` 3.4 CONSTITUTION OF ZIMBABWE Section 21 guarantees the protection of freedom of assembly and association. It reads as follows: ‘ Except with his own consent or by way of parental discipline, no person shall be hindered in his freedom of assembly and association, that is to say, his right to assemble freely and associate with other persons and in particular to form or belong to political parties or trade unions or other associations for the protection of his interest’. 5