Election monitoring

Observers of the Institute for Social Integration reported for buying of votes  in the municipality of Sliven, in the late afternoon yesterday.

One of the signals is for giving away money and mobile phones, as well as promises for subsequent giving away, for a vote. It includes 7 people from the town, with specified address; the “purchase” is made in favor of one of the large parliamentary parties in the previous Parliament.

The second signal is for giving away money in the gypsy area of the village of Topolchane, Sliven Municipality.

The signals are sent to REC Sliven without presented evidence, as well as to the special e-mail of MI: izbor@mvr.bg. One hour after this was done, the observers were invited to the Regional Police Directorate Sliven to give explainations about the information they have!

The police have checked the signals and today there already have been two arrests!

The team of ISI welcomes its young colleagues for being active citizens and for their persistence to bring the information to the knowledge of the competent bodies. We really hope to prevent all fraudulent and criminal intent, which contradicts to our understanding of freedom and democracy!

We inform all citizens that we will protect their anonymity, if they wish to report an election violation. On the instructions of the Ministry of Interior, the police are required to respond promptly to the submitted reports, even if they are anonymous!

Since yesterday, May 11^th 2013, observers from the Institute for Social Integration have been carrying out monitoring of the Election Day. Information has been constantly sent to the media. The complaints have been directed to SEC, REC and CEC, where that have been possible, and to the Ministry of Interior following signals for buying of votes, using the national e-mail, the open phone line and the phone numbers of the regional offices.

The information has also been presented ongoingly on the website of the Institute as follows: for the period 7 May - 10 May, 2013 (monitoring the process of elections’ campaign), for May 11^th 2013 (the day before the elections), for May 12^th (the information has been analyzed and published in two stages), and  May 13^th 2013 (sumarized information up to 9:00, after receiving the  election papers and newsletters).