“Activists of the ruling party are asking some voters to temporarily hand over their identification documents for various reasons,” which constitutes a criminal offense under the Criminal Code (obstruction of the exercise of voters’ will in elections) – reads the statement of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (hereinafter ISFED). ISFED urges voters not to hand over their personal identification documents to anyone in the above circumstances.
The statement also points to alleged cases of vote-buying, describing that activists of the ruling party are distributing products, fuel vouchers, or offering services to voters in exchange for their votes. According to the organization’s assessment, voter bribery is a criminal offense and entails legal responsibility for both the person bribing the voter and the bribed voter. A voter will be exempt from criminal liability if they voluntarily report this fact to the relevant authority.
The organization also describes that, according to their information, in various institutions, managers are ordering employees to compile and submit lists of potential supporters for the ruling party, which is also illegal. The organization “calls on the heads of budgetary and private organizations to refrain from giving illegal assignments. In such cases, employees have the right refuse such assignments, which are not part of their official functions.”
Additionally, there have been instances where activists of the ruling party are spreading false information through informal communication channels, claiming that on election day, they will find out which party each voter voted for through the electronic devices used.
“According to numerous statements made by the election administration, the use of voter verification and vote-counting devices is safe, and no one will know which voter voted for which party. The verification and vote-counting electronic devices are not connected to each other, and the ballot paper does not contain any information that would allow linking it to a specific voter. Therefore, the secrecy of the vote is ensured,” the statement reads.
Observer organization – ISFED is observing the pre-election environment throughout the country and periodically publishes the results of pre-election observations.
