Reaction to the misinformation that could decrease the citizens’ trust in the electoral process
Appreciating the importance of citizens’ trust in the electoral process, the BiH CEC is obligated to react to untrue allegations and comments published on September 26, 2020 on the front and third page of the daily “Dnevni Avaz” under headline “Shameful/Beginning of printing of the ballots revealed many dangers/Everything ready for new electoral fraud”.
Based on untrue information the article concludes “Photos made by the reports who visited the printing house “Unioninvestplastika” do not reveal existence of adequate and efficient independent control”.
The following proves the best that this is a case of absolutely untrue information that attempts to decrease the citizens’ trust in this exceptionally important segment of the electoral process:
1. Photo reporter of Dnevni Avaz (E.T.) managed to take photos only after receiving approval requested by e-mail. (See message here)
2. The reporter’s personal information and time of entry/exit were recorded (photo of the sheet can be seen here)
3. Everything was recorded by a security camera, from the moment the reporter of Dnevni Avaz entered the building until he left (photos from surveillance cameras can be seen here).
Once more we inform the public that several novelties were introduced to the electoral process for the 2020 Local Elections, such as several levels of ballot protection, which inter alia means that bar codes will be printed on the ballots for the first time since the elections are conducted in BiH, and that there is written procedure of multiple control and surveillance over the process of printing and packing of the ballots, that there is 24 hours camera surveillance that CEC BiH can access at any time without the need to be physically present at the premises of the company, and the footages will be kept even after election results are confirmed for any time necessary, that special commissions were established that follow and monitor procurement, shipping, storage and use of the paper with water mark and process of printing and packing of the ballots, whereof it will report to the BiH CEC in writing.
For the safety of ballot printing the BiH CEC has never and will not answer the questions: Who are and how many persons are securing the process of printing and packing of the ballots? How many cameras there are and where they are located? Where is the video material stored?
The BiH CEC will continue to safeguard the electoral process in the future, which includes responses to all untrue information/misinformation that are devised to make damage by decreasing the citizens’ trust in the electoral process.