The introduction of machine voting was an absolutely correct move. This was said by the Speaker of the 45th National Assembly Iva Miteva from “Ima tak narod” / ITN / on 7/8 TV in view of the latest changes in the Electoral Code of the 45th National Assembly and the introduced entirely machine voting in sections with over 300 voters.
Miteva pointed out that she was extremely happy that the Constitutional Court had also confirmed the correctness of their decision.
“One of the reasons for introducing this machine voting was this unequal situation in which Bulgarian citizens in the country and those abroad were,” Miteva commented. According to her, in order to meet the requirement for equal suffrage, it is necessary, when you have machine voting in the country as the only way to vote, to ensure this for Bulgarian citizens abroad.
“I think we did the right thing. I think the motives in GERB’s appeal against our decision were very unfounded and absurd,” she said.
Miteva reminded that in 2017 the machine voting failed due to a failed public procurement. According to her, then the invalid ballots were 4.6 percent or 12 seats. “It’s an awful lot. In the 2021 election, when machines were introduced, even though they were combined with paper, the number of invalid ballots was seen to have halved, which is a sign that this way of voting really works. Voting is very important so that people can have this certainty that their vote will be counted correctly, “Miteva said.
She commented on the low turnout, pointing out that this usually happens in early elections. The turnout was usually highest when there were full seats, when there are early elections, then turnout drops, Miteva said.
She stressed that it is important for the ITN to be the first political force to be able to change many of the rules.
Miteva commented on the work of the Central Election Commission on election day and the possibility of introducing a professional election administration. In her words, what
seen from the work of the CEC, shows the need for a genuine professional election commission to be governed by seven to eight members.
Miteva was adamant that the current CEC did a perfect job. The colleagues were very responsible and we have no remarks, Miteva pointed out. She added that this partisanship of the CEC must stop.
Regarding the National Security Service, Miteva pointed out that the law needs to be changed because NSOs are currently treating it as an “expensive taxi service”.
According to her, this will be one of the first bills to be submitted by ITN, because in addition to security for the three big in the country – Speaker of the National Assembly, President and Prime Minister, there were many other people guarded by NSO. It refers to members of the Council of Ministers, the deputy chairmen of the National Assembly, the mayor of Sofia, the members of the Constitutional Court, as well as the chairmen of the Supreme Court of Cassation and the Supreme Administrative Court, and the chief prosecutor.
At the moment, I have also witnessed MPs ordering cars in the evening to go to a restaurant and then the cars waiting for them to pick them up from the restaurant. I think this should end, Miteva was categorical.
Miteva said that even after the end of her term as chair of the 45th National Assembly, she had submitted a declaration that she no longer wanted to be guarded and used a car.
I think that I am not endangered, I think that there are enough taxis, I think that there is a way to move, there is a subway and buses and since we claim the love of the people, it is not right for us to move by car, Miteva was categorical. According to her, so far three parliamentary chairmen have used the services of the NGO for a period of four years after the end of their term. These are Tsetska Tsacheva, Dimitar Glavchev, Tsveta Karayancheva.
This is a huge resource and it is really a disgrace, Miteva commented. Imagine how much you must have lost touch with reality and how much you must have been impudent in order to enjoy a security guard following you with some cars and serving you, Miteva commented.
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