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Political scientist Boban Stojanovic wrote a letter to MEPs stating that there were “serious doubts” that the candidacy process in recent elections in Serbia was “irregular” and asked them to put pressure on political institutions in Serbia to allow the prosecution and the courts do their job. .
In a letter to the media, which he sent to MEPs whose envoys participated in negotiations between the government and the opposition on improving electoral conditions, Stojanović noted that the elections were accompanied by numerous irregularities.
He explained that the suspicions with “manipulations on the collection and verification of signatures during the electoral campaign were confirmed by official data”, which he claims to have received from the Electoral Commission of the Republic.
Stojanovic emphasized that “there are strong suspicions that the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, as well as other political actors, aided numerous candidates in the elections by collecting the necessary signatures, potentially and abusing the private data of citizens.”
“Given the absence of the rule of law in Serbia, the closed institutions and the poor state of the courts, I hereby ask you to launch an official investigation into the candidacy process and pressure the political institutions in Serbia to allow the competent authorities to do their job (prosecution and courts), “Stojanović said in the letter.
Among other things, he affirmed that he “made a review of all certified signatures” by comparing the number of signatures in a municipality / city with the number of votes obtained, and then checked whether citizens were invited to give signatures of support to any of the electoral lists. in certain places, to be able to check for certain abuses
“What is the conclusion? Official data showed that the suspicions that arose were justified and that the entire process was involved in irregularities,” Stojanovic said in a letter to MEPs.
He also pointed out that “some of the conclusions of the certification are that (Aleksandar) Shapic (SPAS) verified the signatures of the opposition that went to the polls, and of the ruling SNS, the so-called false opposition or the so-called ‘opposition SNS'”.
“The municipality of New Belgrade is a place where part of the opposition verified the signatures. The municipal administration (headed by Šapić) verified up to 8,274 signatures for the opposition – Free Citizens Movement (PSG) up to 5,003, New Party – Green Party – up to 2,471 and “The movement ‘Movement 1 of 5 million’ has a total of 800 signatures. For example, PSG has never asked its voters to give them a signature in New Belgrade, “said Stojanovic.
As a reason to doubt the regularity of the verification of supporting signatures, he also stated that “these three electoral actors obtained much fewer votes in New Belgrade than signatures.”
“The municipalities of Belgrade led by the SNS certified the signatures of the other part of the opposition, in the municipalities of Belgrade where the SNS is in power, the opposition, which the public suspects is a ‘false opposition’, certified almost all the firms in those municipalities, “Stojanovic added. .
He also noted in the letter that “a large number of electoral lists in some places in Serbia have huge disproportions in relation to the number of signatures and the number of votes (Coalition for Peace, United Democratic Serbia, Russian Party, New Party-Party Green, 1 in 5 million, Free Citizens Movement, Popular Bloc, Justice and Reconciliation Party ”.
Stojanovic also stated that “some electoral lists submitted incorrectly filled forms: ‘Broom 2020’ and the Russian Party (whose submission of the election form lists notaries public that do not exist), but also the SNS, for which the question remains how they are the courts or judicial units. certified signatures in places where there are notaries public ”, adding that the courts certify if there are no notaries public.
“Given the well-founded suspicions of misuse of citizens ‘personal data, the entire process could be verified by inspecting municipal files with certified signatures, determining the accuracy and identity of the signatories, and fully verifying whether citizens’ data was misused. “he explained. Stojanovic.
It concluded that the “potential Pribe report” on the rule of law, demanded by the opposition and desperately needed by Serbia, could and should include this issue, and if it confirms that the candidacy process in the 2020 elections in Serbia was not legal. “This should be the beginning of an international mediation process to resolve the political crisis in Serbia.”
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