KOJIĆ WARNS NEW VOTING TECHNOLOGIES MAY BE MISUSED

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 21 /SRNA/ - The introduction of new electoral technologies in BiH carries risks, particularly regarding possible abuse and influence on the electoral will of citizens, SNSD member of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly Milorad Kojić told SRNA.

Kojić stated that the very process of selecting a supplier for the procurement of equipment is disputable, as the Central Election Commission /CEC/ of BiH did not choose the most favorable bid, which raises questions of transparency. "We have seen that the most favorable bidder was not selected. It is obvious that you have chosen a supplier that is supposed to manage the electoral process tomorrow," Kojić said in the SRNA podcast. He warned that the digitalization of the electoral process could open the possibility of manipulating results. "There is a fear that someone could, with a single click, decide instead of the people who are supposed to decide in elections. You have an electronic database, you have software - whoever manages that software can influence the will of the people," Kojić pointed out. According to him, a particular challenge is the application of these technologies in smaller and rural areas. "How will you enable such a voting method in a village without internet and where elderly people live? How will you train people to use scanners while at the same time protecting the secrecy of the vote?" Kojić asked. He added that there is a risk of undermining the principle of ballot secrecy, especially among the older population. "My vote is secret and I cast it myself. How will you ensure that an elderly person votes, while protecting their right to vote freely and in secret?" Kojić asks. He expressed concern that there is an attempt by certain other centers, such as the CEC BiH, to decide what should actually be the will of the citizens. Kojić reminded that there had been earlier claims of electoral irregularities, but the results of repeated elections did not confirm those allegations. "You had repeated /early presidential/ elections at several polling stations /in Republika Srpska/ and what happened? SNSD increased the margin of its candidate Siniša Karan," Kojić noted. He assessed that those who advocate for new electoral technologies seek to overturn the electoral will of citizens of Republika Srpska. "I am afraid that the will of citizens who vote for SNSD could be changed with a single click," Kojić said.