Before discussing what kind of machines we want for the elections, let’s first determine what kind of electoral process they will support: primitive printers, remote electronic voting, or ballots that are scanned. This must be resolved first, and only then can we address who will supply the machines, the deadlines, and the price, commented Kalin Slavov, Executive Director of Transparency International Bulgaria, in an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).
“It seems to me that all the political parties at the consultations with the president declared their support for machine voting. The big question is what technology they intend to implement. Even the parties from the so-called ‘paper coalition’, who rendered machine voting meaningless and turned it into voting via printers, they have now also joined the ‘pro-machine voting’ camp.”
According to Kalin Slavov, machine voting in and of itself means nothing:
“What matters is the technology being implemented through them, and that remains outside the discussion for now. I get the impression that the debate over whether or not to use machines, and the bigger issues around them, are being sidelined, and the topic of public debate is being shifted. Unfortunately, the issue that brought people out onto the streets – the brutal arrogance with which the political class treats its citizens, is being sidelined. That was the real reason for the protests.”
Regarding the organization of the elections and whether they will be fair and transparent, the executive director of Transparency International Bulgaria said:
“The elections are organized by the ruling elite, and they were the focus of the debate that led to the protests. In the eyes of the average citizen, machine voting is somewhat mythologized. The election administration abandoned the idea of machine voting and outsourced this activity. It did not even build the capacity to handle technical issues, including people who understood the process, but instead sought outside assistance, whether from institutions or external IT firms. Even storing the machines was rejected. We’re talking about capacity, but we should keep in mind that the machines used in previous elections are no longer under warranty and are no longer covered by maintenance.”
According to Mr. Slavov, the three months leading up to the election are a long time, “considering that we have a sitting National Assembly with a stable majority that will continue to function for about a month after the election, until the new one is formed.”
He points out that during this period we have legislative authority, and that it is the same body with the same majority.
“We know that the next government will be appointed according to the established procedure, and we do not expect any surprises. Contrary to what is being claimed, I believe we have a stable government, and it is capable of preparing any election procedure. The three-month period puts current events, which are emotionally driven, into perspective and creates a desire for action. Until then, the debate will focus strictly on technical issues. If there is no genuine political debate about the vision, citizen participation, and the direction of the country, and if the euro was a political goal, then it is a fact that there is no such debate regarding Bulgaria’s next goal. The politicians’ aim is to keep citizen interest low and maintain strong clientelist bases.“, Mr. Slavov highlighted.
The full interview is available in Bulgarian on the website of BNR.