The need to review the current system of regulating party finances cannot be over emphasised. There is need for sustained discussion among electoral stakeholders on the appropriate mechanisms for political party financing that can help new entrants in politics to establish themselves. The new system should require appropriate disclosure, limits on expenditure and effective monitoring of party campaign finances. Democracy only thrives when the playing field, for political actors and political parties, is level and when elections are genuinely contested. Such a discussion is timely and relevant in light of the numerous challenges that independent candidates and smaller political parties continue to face when they try to participate in political processes. Election campaigns began with primaries elections being conducted by ZANU-PF in all three constituencies. In Epworth a total of 13 aspiring candidates contested the primaries, with 11 and 10 contesting in Marondera Central and Mbire respectively. ZESN observed that campaigns for the NCA, Freedom Front, Transform Zimbabwe and independent candidates were affected by limited resources, whereas ZANU-PF campaigns were robust owing to the party and candidates’ access to significantly larger amounts of resources. For instance in Epworth ZANU-PF campaign posters overshadowed those of other political parties. Reports from ZESN observers showed that although the environment was generally peaceful, there were incidents of intimidation in Marondera Central and destruction of campaign posters of opposition political parties in Mbire constituency. Such behaviour of political intolerance is in contravention of the Section 6 (c) of the Fourth Schedule of the Electoral Act which prohibits political parties, their members and supporters from damaging or defacing property, including posters, of another party or candidate. 8. GENDER AND ELECTIONS Zimbabwe is signatory to a number of declarations aimed at increasing women’s participation in top decision making positions and the Constitution affirms women’s equal participation. The active participation of women in critical processes such as elections is vital in the strengthening of democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe. Of the candidates who successfully filed their nomination papers and contested in the byelections there were three women and seven men, signifying a 30% percent representation of women in the by-elections. However, of the three contesting female candidates only one was elected Member of Parliament for Epworth Constituency. ZESN observed that ZEC made compilations of data on voters that is disaggregated by age and gender and urges the Commission to share this information with relevant stakeholders including political parties and civil society to enhance focus of programming in the promotion of women and youth’s participation in electoral processes. ZESN notes that the women’s participation in elections continues to be hampered by a number of factors such as the fear of violence, intimidation, financial challenges in their bid to launch political campaigns as well as a number of inhibiting cultural systems. 14 | P a g e