SEC Open Session: First complaint of BESA rejected

“The complaint filed by BESA in regards to polling station 2331/1 in Aracinovo, in Electoral Unit 2, has been rejected with seven votes ‘against’ and two ‘in favor’”, concluded the President of the SEC, Aleksandar Cicakovski, after reviewing, at the open session, the first of the eight complaints filed by the political party of BESA, reports CIVIL – Center for Freedom observer.

For members of the SEC there was not enough relevant evidence in the first complaint filed by BESA. The representative of this party had been informed on the session of the SEC later, because the members had made a decision to review the complaints according to the time they were received.

Following the announcements that there would be an organized arrival of VMRO-DPMNE supporters in Skopje, in front of the building in which the premises of the SEC are located in, a metal fence was placed there.

After Vlatko Gjorcev directed threats to Zoran Zaev and the opposition, yesterday on the social networks, members of VMRO-DPMNE from the interior were called upon to be “ready” to go in front of the State Election Commission, “in order for their election victory not to be stolen!”

“Brothers and sisters, come to your, or your nearest, Municipal Committee today at 16:00h. The SEC will hold a Session, they want to steal the victory. Everyone must be ready! Today might be that day, when we will all have to repay our dear Macedonia and VMRO-DPMNE…!, was one of the messages circulating on the social networks. Another message stated: “Dearly respected, all members of the Municipal Committee, management and officials, need to come to the Municipal Committee at 16:00, The SEC will hold a Session, they want to steal the victory. Everyone needs to be ready!”

Member of the SEC, Saso Srcev, today emphasized that “All eyes are on us as members of the SEC, high level of professionalism, impartiality and objectivity is expected from us in acting according to the Electoral Code and the rules, which precisely stipulate what may be a ground for complaints”.

The Macedonian public is expecting a high degree of professionalism from the SEC at this session, because of the narrow results last Sunday, and especially because of all the flaws of the SEC and the electoral administration in the pre-election period and on the very day of the elections as well.

CIVIL – Center for Freedom on Tuesday, at a press conference, based on the initial analysis, publically directed recommendations and demands to the SEC and other competent institutions.

CIVIL demanded a full recount of the votes in all electoral units and a revision of the invalid ballots, because according to the data from the polling stations, in counting the votes, ballots in which the will of the voters could clearly be seen were proclaimed as invalid!

In addition, CIVIL demands a rerun in polling stations in which serious violations to the voting right and election procedures have been noted, and from the SEC to ensure insight in the counting of the votes, the revision of invalid ballots and in the election materials - to interested domestic and foreign observers.

For Members of Electoral Boards, which will be found to have been performing their tasks unprofessionally and unethically or have had conflict of interests, CIVIL recommends for them to lose their right of being elected to that position in the following election process. Also, CIVIL demands that there be urgent analysis and investigation into the work of the SEC and its bodies, along with urgent reforms of this institution ahead of local elections 2017.