The Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) called on the Constitutional Court to react and annul part of the instructions of the State Election Commission (SEC), which, contrary to the Constitution, deny citizens the right to vote and discriminate against them.
CDT Executive Director Dragan Koprivica called on the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms to react and initiate a procedure against discrimination against citizens.
"Last night, the SEC came out with a document in which it recommends that we disinfect our hands, wear a mask and keep our distance. So, after a month of discussion and advice, the SEC told us what we have all known for a long time," said Koprivica.
According to him, the SEC was tasked with regulating how ill persons, persons in self-isolation and quarantine will vote. It was decided to enable voting for all people in self-isolation, regardless of whether they are positive or negative for the coronavirus, but people undergoing hospital treatment and in quarantine, as this institution announced, "cannot meet".
"However, the right to vote is not a favor that the SEC does for us, but a constitutional and legal right of every citizen. The law clearly stipulates that a voter who, due to age, disability, hospital or home treatment, is unable to vote at the polling station where he is registered in extract from the voter list, and he wants to vote, he can vote by letter. And there must be no discrimination against those suffering from COVID-19, nor illegal narrowing of the right to vote by introducing residence requirements through by-laws," said Koprivica.
He also states that it is a rare case that a state institution publicly calls for unconstitutional behavior, so he believes that it is understood that the Constitutional Court will react ex officio.
"But not in October or November, but urgently! The one in neighboring Croatia warned of a similar action by the election enforcement authorities that Croatian citizens suffering from COVID-19 "have the right to demand the exercise of the right to vote, by the nature of things, according to the rules on voting outside the polling station places, which are adapted to the nature of the potential threat of infection and harmonized with the requirements of health security and protection of other participants in the election process," Koprivica points out.
He also notes that on June 30, the CDT appealed for this document to be prepared as soon as possible, and the first draft of these recommendations was submitted by the Institute for Public Health on July 8. This version also contained epidemiological recommendations for collecting signatures and holding an election campaign, as well as much more detailed measures for conducting voting on election day.
"While we were waiting for the SEC to edit and adopt the document, the signatures were collected and the lists submitted, so that section became unnecessary. The SEC decided to completely skip the recommendations on the campaign because they do not consider it their responsibility, and no one else feels competent." , says Koprivica.
Thus, as he claims, the campaign of the opposition parties moved to the Internet because public gatherings are prohibited, while the government's campaign lives brilliant moments through the officials' campaign and daily pseudo-events which, conveniently, are not prohibited.
According to Koprivica, the campaign is one of the key elements of the election process and must be equal for everyone.
"Only voting at the polling station, for "healthy" voters, comes down to their responsibility - to keep their distance, wear a mask and disinfect their hands. The recommendations do not offer a guarantee that the distance will be respected, the rooms will be ventilated, surfaces will be regularly disinfected, and not even hundreds people hold a ballpoint pen in their hand. The state does not seem to have any special interest in the professional organization of elections in the conditions of the corona virus," he concluded.
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