BS
The Coalition “Pod lupom” recorded a total of 1,282 electoral irregularities during the pre-election period. The largest number concerned the misuse of public resources, irregularities in the formation of polling station committees, and premature campaigning. Based on reports submitted by Pod lupom, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEC BiH) has so far imposed 29 sanctions on political entities, amounting to KM 286,000 in total.
Pod lupom paid particular attention to electoral irregularities and findings that may have a direct impact on the conduct of election day, noting that it has so far recorded a total of 304 cases of irregularities related to the formation of polling station committees. Of these, 39 cases concern suspected trading of positions on polling station committees, while 265 cases concern candidates for polling station committee presidents for whom there are grounds to suspect links to political parties.
“These findings raise an important question about the actual purpose of continuing these practices. With the introduction of new electoral technologies at all polling stations, the possibility of the types of manipulation previously carried out by polling station committees is eliminated. However, the fact that attempts to trade positions and appoint party-affiliated individuals to non-partisan positions on polling station committees are still being recorded indicates that political interest in controlling the composition of polling station committees has not disappeared with the introduction of new technologies. This requires further consideration of the reasons why political entities continue to invest efforts in exerting unlawful influence over polling station committees,” Pod lupom said.
In addition, Pod lupom has recorded cases of the accreditation, or attempted accreditation, of large numbers of observers representing phantom associations, which it considers to be so-called fake observers linked to political parties.
“It appears that certain political entities are attempting to exert political influence over several different segments of the electoral process. Of particular concern are possible plans for obstruction, such as: actively spreading disinformation among voters, refusing to use new electoral technologies, deliberately prolonging the voting process, using oil or fingerprint stickers, claims of mass vote-buying, failure to use the protective folder, and turning ballots face-up so that the polling station committee member responsible for monitoring the ballot box and ballot scanner can see how a voter has voted, etc. We have submitted a report to the CEC requesting that unlawful party-affiliated individuals be replaced with lawful non-partisan members, and we call on political entities and the election administration to respect the law and refrain from manipulating or sabotaging the electoral process,” Pod lupom added.
Given the methodology applied by the Coalition “Pod lupom”, which is representative at the state level, any attempt to obstruct the electoral process on election day that statistically deviates from the usual pattern will be visible.
“We are issuing our strongest warning to all political entities and party-affiliated individuals who intend to obstruct the electoral process: we will use all available means to ensure that they are sanctioned and that elections at the affected polling stations and in the affected local communities are annulled and repeated seven days later,” Pod lupom said.
Commenting on the recorded cases of pressure being exerted on voters, Pod lupom directly addressed citizens.
“The politicians who have brought you to the point where KM 100 every two years means something in your life now want to buy you with that same KM 100. This is the destruction of the last shred of civic dignity. That is why, for the first time, we are telling you who to vote for: vote against such people. Whether you take the money they offer or not, by voting for them you become accomplices in crime,” Pod lupom said sharply.
Pod lupom called on all voters to turn out for the elections on 4 October and not to fall for disinformation spread by political entities, stressing that this time no one can know how any individual voted, that each voter’s ballot will go to the candidate or political subject for whom it was intended, and that voters should not be afraid of the new technologies, as they are there to protect them.
The toll-free number 080 05 05 05 and the online form https://neregularnosti.podlupom.org/ remain available to everyone for reporting electoral irregularities, including anonymous reports.
