The SPÖ can no longer get out of the argument. A conflict is currently raging around the electoral commission, which is responsible for conducting the member survey on party chairmanship and top candidates. After the resignation of the chairman Harry Copytz, a dispute has now broken out between the new head of the body, Michaela Grubesa, and the national manager, Christian Deutsch. The immediate cause was a “courier” report about a circular resolution in the commission, according to which an “external computer scientist” should be called in to check the voting process and the two USB sticks on which the President of the Chamber of Notaries keeps the electronically cast votes, also from should be checked by an “independent computer scientist”.
English: Decision not effective
Deutsch now says in the “Kurier” that the decision is not effective because the Commission would have to decide it unanimously. Grubesa reacted sharply to the APA. She couldn’t imagine that anyone in the SPÖ was against more transparency, verifiability and control: “But if that’s the case, every member is free to express their views and bring them to the electoral commission, which will then decide on it,” addressed the director German.
The examination of metadata, the involvement of campaign witnesses and the drawing of random samples by a democratically elected election commission serve to ensure the transparency of the election: “That was decided and will now be implemented.”
Bitter feud
In and around the electoral commission, there has been a bitter internal feud for weeks between the camp of incumbent Pamela Rendi-Wagner, which is mainly represented by Vienna, and that of the Burgenland governor, Hans Peter Doskozil, in which there are several federal state representatives. The latter group misses transparency, which the former rejects.
After copytz’ health-related withdrawal, Grubesa, who comes from the Doskozil camp and automatically moved up as deputy, immediately launched a quasi-transparency offensive. Among other things, all three candidate teams should be able to nominate election witnesses for the entire counting process. Rendi-Wagner decided against it, and Doskozil sent a lawyer.
The survey itself is long overdue. But the result will not be known until May 22nd. Then the electoral commission meets. The reason why it takes so long is that the postmark is valid for postal votes and you therefore have to wait a few more days. Then comes the long holiday weekend, which further delays the count.
