According to the legislation in force, in regular polling stations, only votes for political entities are initially counted, while their verification and the counting of votes for candidates of political entities must begin the day after the elections.
The process of counting votes for candidates was supposed to start yesterday, Monday at 08:00 in the morning in the 38 Municipal Counting Centers (MCCs). However, due to what the CEC considers “technical and administrative problems”, this process has not yet started. Only today, the CEC announced that the process will start at 16:00, but only in four municipalities. This action is an improvisation that creates the impression that the situation is under control, when in fact the reality is different.
Democracy in Action calls on the CEC to promptly and transparently share information on the progress of the counting process at the NEC and the receipt of ballots from abroad by mail. We also request that the CEC engage more intensively with all its capacities, so as not to exceed legal deadlines and create delays that could affect the certification of results.
By not sharing information in a timely and transparent manner, the CEC could undermine citizens' trust in the election results, which is unacceptable, especially after a day of democratic elections.
Democracy in Action will continue to monitor the process and inform the public of any further developments.
