The Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters requires that the fundamental elements of electoral law, in particular the electoral system proper, membership of electoral commissions and the drawing of constituency boundaries, should not be open to amendment less than one year before an election. According to the explanatory report to that Code, “[s]tability of the law is crucial to credibility of the electoral process, which is itself vital to consolidating democracy. Rules which change frequently – and especially rules which are complicated – may confuse voters. Above all, voters may conclude, rightly or wrongly, that electoral law is simply a tool in the hands of the powerful, and that their own votes have little weight in deciding the results of elections.” .The stability of electoral law prevents the manipulation of electoral rules for partisan advantage and plays an important role in the preservation of the integrity of democratic processes.