"The paper for the machines is not tested. This can lead to problems", warned in the morning block of BNT "The Day Begins" Tsvetelina Peneva from the public council of the Central Election Commission.
According to her, the Electoral Code currently does not allow for tests to be carried out with the paper before the vote.
"Before, the machines were not printers and did not count the votes and we only had control receipts, the paper was not under special reporting, under the control of the Ministry of Finance, as it is now and then the manufacturer did tests. However, now no one has the right, this is the paradox and if it is proven that something technological needs to be done with some paper, this cannot be parameterized in the certificate of the machines," explained Tsvetelina Peneva.
Peneva commented on the upcoming elections, technologies and the role of citizen observers. According to her, the preparation for the elections on April 19 is accompanied by intensive checks and discussions about the fairness of the process.
Tsvetelina Peneva recalled the problems from the last elections and the restrictions for Bulgarian citizens outside the EU: “We remember the never-happened bills that offered a wide variety of solutions to the problems that were identified in a decision of Constitutional Case 33 of 2024. Unfortunately, none of this happened in the upcoming elections, which will be held in about a month. The only thing that happened was another restriction of citizens' rights, namely a reduction in the number of sections in countries outside the European Union, which we all know what will lead to and we will see in a month the difficulties and problems in voting for Bulgarian citizens outside the European Union.“
Peneva praised the improved coordination between the CEC and other institutions, as well as the greater audibility of the citizen's voice.