2024-09-16 16:00:37
The CEC has asked the governor of the BNB that the printing house publicly take a position on the topic of paper supply, so as not to create tension and have doubts that paper is being supplied that differs from the manufacturer’s technical requirements
We discussed the proposals that had been submitted to the CEC. All of them, as the ministers assured us, have one goal – to build on the activities that have already been undertaken by the CEC, so that together, the CEC and the MC, we can increase confidence in the electoral process, make the voting processes more transparent, the preparation of the elections, the material and technical preparation and the overall securing of the electoral process. This meeting will not be the last, we will work together.
This was announced at a briefing in the presence of ministers by the Chairperson of the CEC, Kamelia Neikova.
She emphasized that the acting Minister of Innovation and Growth Rosen Karadimov assured them that the CEC has the full support of the Council of Ministers. We continue to work together in the organization of the elections, she repeated, and Karadimov also confirmed that they will work together to make the elections more and more public and transparent.
Together with Minister Valentin Mundrov from the e-government, they discussed measures under Art. 313 A and B of the Election Code – to certify the compliance of the machines. Those entitled will be provided with all the documentation on the machine voting, the commission assures.
The other proposals are mainly organizational, emphasized the CEC chief.
Earlier today, the Acting Minister of Innovation and Growth, Rosen Karadimov, announced that the six Acting Ministers, leading the departments responsible for the organizational and technical preparation of the elections, will participate in a working meeting with the Central Election Commission (CEC) today.
By law, the CEC organizes the elections, and the government provides material and technical support. We want to ensure maximum coordination, public dialogue with the CEC and fully support the process of greater transparency and greater trust in the electoral process, he commented.
“Regarding the specialized paper, I want to emphasize that from 2022 until now the printing house of the BNB has been its supplier. The paper meets the requirements of the manufacturer. These requirements were sent at the beginning of 2023 by the manufacturer Smartmatic. The same requirements have been provided to the contractor of the activities “Siela Norma”. We have provided them to the BNB printing house on September 13, at which they assured us that the paper meets these requirements a paper that does not meet the requirements is false,” Neikova said categorically.
And he forwarded the rest of the questions on the subject of the paper to the printing house of the BNB.
Neikova pointed out that in the vote of June 9, about 140 machines showed a defect and their machine voting was suspended, because they released short, empty or incomplete ballots. An analysis is currently being carried out for the reasons that led to this defect. It is done by two experts from the BAS and experts from the Ministry of e-Government. We bruise Neikova again that the BNB claims that their paper fully meets the requirements.
On Friday, the CEC asked the manager of the BNB printing house to publicly take a position on the subject of paper supply, so as not to create tension and have doubts that paper is being supplied that differs from the manufacturer’s technical requirements.