PETRIĆ: CHOICE OF BIDDER FOR EQUIPMENT PROCUREMENT IS MANTRA OF ELECTION LOSERS

SARAJEVO, MARCH 24 /SRNA/ - The awarding of a contract for the procurement of equipment for a voter biometric identification system and ballot scanning to a company whose bid was BAM 17 million higher than others is a mantra of election losers, not a decision of the Central Election Commission /CEC/ of BiH, former CEC president Branko Petrić told SRNA.

Election losers, he said, have been repeating for two decades that they lose elections because there is no technology. "People supposedly voted for them, but someone stole the votes, so they cannot put an end to it. They have now managed to impose it," Petrić said. Petrić explained that selecting a bid that is BAM 17 million more expensive would require an extremely strong disqualifying reason for the company that was not chosen. "That disqualifying reason should have been considered already in the earlier phase, the stage of examining the validity of bids, and if it had been assessed as invalid, it would have been eliminated from the competition. Only those who qualify and meet all the criteria remain," Petrić said. He stressed that, with BAM 17 million, the entire election infrastructure in BiH could have been upgraded for up to 10 years. "That difference would have to have a significant justification, and it clearly does not," Petrić said. He added that responsibility also lies with those who decide on public funds and now seek to decide on people's lives. "This should be viewed through that lens. The goal is not to get something done. CEC members are not even asked anything; their role is merely to vote," Petrić concluded. A consortium led by the Sarajevo-based company Smartmatic BiH was awarded a contract worth BAM 74.5 million /excluding VAT/ for the procurement of equipment for a voter biometric identification system and ballot scanning. CEC member Vlado Rogić opposed the decision, stating that it is unlawful and pointing out that Smartmatic's bid was BAM 17 million higher than that of a group led by Planetsoft from Banja Luka.