DODIK: CEC SHOULD BE TECHNICAL, NOT GOVERNING BODY IN BiH

BELGRADE, APRIL 27 /SRNA/ – SNSD Leader Milorad Dodik says the Procurement Review Body of BiH's decision regarding the CEC of BiH's decision to award the procurement contract for electoral technologies to the Smartmatic Company, whose bid was significantly more expensive than other bidders, shows the true image of BiH as a country where others determine its electoral system.

Dodik assessed that those behind such decisions have turned the Central Election Commission /CEC/ into a governing body in BiH. "The CEC was supposed to be a technical, not a governing body. That is why there is no agreement on anything, neither with politicians nor with participants in the elections. No one agreed that something should be done. This is once again the will of an unappointed foreigner who influences the court, the elections, and everything else," Dodik told the press in Belgrade. As he says, he cannot believe that those doing this pretend to be so foolish. "Either they really are foolish and believe something like this can pass. It is possible that something will be imposed on us and taken away from us. Everything has been done, as I can see from the optimism of some people who are the choice of British and German structures in BiH - they are already celebrating victory," Dodik said. This proves, Dodik says, that through such a mechanism they want to secure and declare election results as they wish, regardless of what the people think. "The people in Republika Srpska must know that this is directed against them and their freedom, therefore a way must be found to explain this to people to prevent a political, social, or any other kind of unrest," Dodik said. The Central Election Commission selected the bid of the Smartmatic Company for the procurement of equipment for biometric voter identification and ballot scanning, even though it was BAM 17 million more expensive than the offer submitted by Planet Soft Company.