The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections “Pod lupom” is observing today’s repeated elections at one polling station in Novi Grad (RS). This is polling station number 007B040 (Suhača). At this pooling station, the Central Election Commission of BiH (CEC BiH) annulled the elections due to problems and interruption of voting as well as due to irregularities identified in the work of the Polling Station Committee on E-day on November 15, 2020.
An observer of the Coalition “Pod lupom” reported that during the process of identifying the number of received ballots at this polling station, almost 400 ballots were marked in advance for both election races (the mayor and the municipal assembly). The Municipal Election Commission, the CEC BiH and the competent police department were notified and a report was made on this situation.
It sounds almost unreal that at the only polling station in which repeated voting is taking place today in BiH and which is exposed to a significant attention of the public, political entities and observers, someone has dared to enter hundreds of already marked ballots having a clear purpose to steal votes. The Coalition “Pod lupom” has alarmed the election administration, especially that at the local level, that it cannot and should not be an accomplice in election irregularities while trying to mitigate or cover them up. Someone must be held accountable for the stated criminal offense, the sanction must be proportional to the stated irregularity and the participants and principals of criminal activity must be punished in the strongest terms.
The Coalition “Pod lupom” will demand a re-counting process of votes from all polling stations in the municipality of Novi Grad (RS) due to the previously observed irregularities committed by the Municipal Election Commission of Novi Grad (RS) and Polling Station Committees while implementing a regular 2020 Local Elections held on November 15, 2020.
The polling station was open to vote around 08:15 am, and according to the information available to the Coalition “Pod lupom”, after determining the results by the polling station committee, all election material will be sent directly to the Main Center for Counting in Sarajevo.
The Coalition “Pod lupom” will continue to observe today’s elections at this polling station until all processes are completed and the public will be informed on all observed irregularities.
