MANS today held a meeting with representatives of the parliamentary political parties regarding the monitoring of the upcoming local elections, in order to get from them additional information on the key issues related to irregularities on election day that our observers should cover.
The meeting was attended by the members of the Parliament Ljerka Dragicevic from the Croatian Civic Initiative, Belisarius Kaludjerovic from the Socialist People’s Party, Branko Bosnjak from the Democratic Front and Azra Jasavic from Positive Montenegro, as well as other representatives of the parties – Mirko Stanic from the Social Democratic Party, Zdravko Soc from the Liberal Party and Predrag Kazic from Positive Montenegro.
Representatives of political parties have pointed to a number of irregularities that may occur on election day, as on the actual polling station as well as in their immediate surrounding.
It was pointed to us that on some polling stations often evidence on voters who voted are kept illegally, what needs to be especially monitored, especially in the part of unauthorized use of cell phones and other electronic devices by members of electoral committees, authorized representatives of electoral lists or others. From political parties warn us as well that often, using the invitation to vote, which are disposed after voting process, may lead to illegal register of voters and special attention should be paid on that aspect.
As well, they warned us that right before the elections the adequate invitation for voting is not performed, and that all citizens before the election do not receive an invitation to vote, to try to some of them are prevented to vote on election day, actually prevented to vote for a political option that is not close to that one which controls the local government. Accordingly to some representatives of political parties, this phenomenon is especially visible in Podgorica, for which accordingly to them, there are no available information about persons who distribute invitations to citizens to vote.
From political parties have warned us as well that on the polling stations often happens inadequate use of invisible spray and UV lamps, and voters who vote are often sprayed the wrong way, which would allow them to vote on some other polling station. Also, it was pointed to us that the electoral committee at some polling stations immediately upon arrival sprayed voters with invisible spray, and if they were not registered as a voters at that polling station, which could be determined later, these people could not even vote anywhere because invisible spray was already on the finger.
Representatives of some political parties pointed on us, and that on some polling stations chairmen of voting committee often do not record observations by the members of the electoral committee, which is contrary to the law, on what it should be paid a special attention because that can jeopardize the regularity of the entire electoral process.
Representatives of some political parties have informed us that so far was so problematic voting by mail, especially when the requirements for voting by mail for dozens of voters brought party activists. By the new law this practice is prohibited, but it is needed to pay attention on how they will implement the new statutory provisions and prevent any potential abuse that can happen on election day.
In the end, from some parties we were informed that serious irregularities happened in the education part of voter committee, so it was denied that on some polling station they have their representatives, which leads to the suspicion that exactly on these polling stations greater irregularities are going to happen, and on which it should be paid special attention.
MANS will tomorrow, in the consultations with the parties, have another meeting with representatives of the Albanian coalition which today were not able to attend, but who wish to draw our attention to the specific election irregularities on polling stations that are their special interest, so we can that part cover adequately on election day.
On all electoral irregularities that may occur on election day, pointed to us by the representatives of political parties, MANS will pay special attention to decrease the extent of abuses and thus make elections more legitimate comparing to the previous ones, which is one of the key conditions to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
Vuk Maras
Director of Monitoring Program
