BS
The Embassy of Germany in Bosnia and Herzegovina has commented on the new electoral technologies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, responding to disinformation claiming that the election technology to be used in Bosnia and Herzegovina is unconstitutional in Germany.
“The claim that the election technology used in the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 4 is unconstitutional in Germany is incorrect,” the German Embassy stated.
The Embassy explained that in 2009, the German Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the regulations in force at the time concerning the use of voting machines in Germany were not compatible with the Constitution. However, the Court did not ban the use of electoral technology as such. Instead, the Court determined that certain criteria must be met when such technology is used.
“Of particular importance is the principle of the public nature of elections – meaning that the vote-counting process must remain understandable and verifiable to everyone. This can, for example, be ensured through additional manual counting of votes, as is currently practiced in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the Embassy stated.
The Embassy also rejected the claim that former High Representative Christian Schmidt allegedly promoted German electoral technology.
“The selection of the company for the electoral technology was carried out through a public tender conducted by the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Germany consistently advocates for transparent and fair elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world. We support international and domestic election observation missions in order to improve democratic processes and strengthen citizens’ trust in their institutions,” the German Embassy said.
In recent weeks and months, the introduction of new electoral technologies has come under increased criticism from politicians from ruling parties in Republika Srpska.
