However, shortcomings remain in the Electoral Code and there are provisions that raise serious concerns. Some of the shortcomings are due to the written text of the Code. Other shortcomings are due to practical implementation, as shown during the local government elections of October 2003.[9] Of major concern are provisions regulating formation of electoral commissions and establishing qualified majority voting requirements in commissions on significant issues. These provisions have given an extremely dominant role to each of the two main political parties at every level of the election administration. Intended to address concerns that the previous composition model led to the under-representation of the opposition, these changes have failed to diminish the highly politicized environment noted in previous reports and some members of election commissions have continued to behave in response to political pressure rather than in their required role of impartial and independent election administrators. This situation has also provided each of the two main political parties with the ability to block decision making in election commissions at every level.
