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When
will the vote-counting groups be set up and trained?!
24.06.2005
Although there are 9 days from the
election day, Albanian
Helsinki Committee, considers
as necessary to raise for the last time the
concern that if the vote-counting groups are set up 2 hours
prior to the closure of elections,
the training of the 3200-4000 members will be impossible.
To AHC, there was no obstacle to ELC-s that
immediately after their establishment,
to define the number of the vote-counting groups and
to forward this decision to the political parties that would make
the respective proposals.
ELC
–s decisions on this occasion would be in compliance with article
95/2 item 1 of the Electoral Code where it is stated that: ‘ In
order to count the votes at a local unit level, with ELC decision…
not later that 2 hours prior to the closure of voting…there are
assigned up to 5 counting groups with seven members and a secretary
per each one.
Despite this, since March 23, 2005,
CEC adopted the guideline
that obliged the ElC-s to assign the number of vote-counting groups
not later than 5 days from the voting day and notify this
decision immediately to the relevant political parties.
Nothing could hinder the ELC-s to make
this decision, say, within May or the first days of June 2005.
AHC shares the opinion that,
there is no excuse as to article 95/2 item of the Electoral Code and
CEC guideline dated March 23, 2005, to implement the last deadlines,
thus questioning the training of the members of the vote-counting
groups.
It is obvious that AHC, since
the beginning, has submitted its own observations related to the
aforementioned provision of the Electoral Code.
AHC has voiced the opinion that
although from the formal-legal perspective the establishment of the
counting groups 2 hours prior to the closure of voting would not be
considered as a violation, if this deadline is met, obviously any
possibility of training is excluded
AHC continues to regard as wrong and with
consequences the idea that
as under the Electoral Code, the contestations that would be
confirmed during the vote-counting process, would be solved by the
ELC, one quick training of the vote-counting groups would be enough
(not to mention the fact that this training would not be organized
at all.)
AHC cannot perceive this ‘excuse’ and
would consider what may happen as implying heavy consequences:
the formal training or the failure of training’.
AHC is aware that as regards the
significant process of vote-counting that
needs skills, impartiality, transparency and efficiency, the law gives the
power to the vote-counting groups, and furthermore it’s worth
mentioning that they are the ones that would identify
which votes are valid or invalid and would fill in the tally sheet
for each polling station.
AHC thinks that involving in
this process (with ElC-s decision) people proposed by the political
parties, but that are not aware of their legal duties, means to
tolerate or accept the exercising of a duty mechanically and with no
responsibility.
AHC shares the opinion that,
even in these few days that are from the elections of July 3, the
above difficulties can be reduced and the potential consequences can
be prevented.
It
is precisely this reason, AHC
deems as necessary to suggest to ELC-s that have not yet decided
about the number of vote-counting groups as well as to the political
parties that have the right to proposals, but have not yet forwarded
them, to assess this problem seriously.
On this occasion also suggests to CEC
that while implementing
its constitutional and legal functions as well as in the context of
the supervision and verification of the different aspects of the
Electoral Code, to pursue
this case with priority with the aim that either one or two days
prior to the election to train all the members of the vote-counting
groups.
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