ENEMO: Video the vote count as well

In an interview given to TV Channel 5, Peter Novotny, Head of the Observation Mission for the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations has spoken of possible problems with the use of video cameras at polling stations.  There can be issues if confidenitiality is not observed, or if they don’t make sure that all cameras are working.  He adds that if you’re going to use cameras, these should also record the vote count.

The ENEMO observers, he said, have already found a number of problems and tricks being used.  These included some technical parties putting forward the same candidate as the opposition party so that the person could not work in the electoral commissions. Or members of technical parties who put forward candidates for the electoral commissions with one person supposedly representing many parties. “We have observed many infringements in the election campaign itself: the use of administrative resource, buying votes”,

He says that the district electoral commissions are open for observers but not all the time. “There are closed sessions where they resolve all issues. And also open sessions but they are extremely formal, they simply show observers, journalists and parties the results already”.

“At present there is already discussion to the effect that all decisions are in fact taken behind closed doors”. 

The full interview and other ENEMO material can be found on Facebook http://facebook.com/pages/ENEMO-The-European-Network-of-Election-Monitoring-Organizations/430957566960421