„CEC, we do not count ballots, we do not correct protocols, we only remove inconsistencies. We guarantee that every vote of a Bulgarian voter, as recorded in the protocol of the SEC, was entered into the database and served for the result that was announced. The data recorded in the sectional protocol are entered in the CEC and in the database. If there are incorrect data filled in, it is a crime. The members of the SEC are officials and bear their responsibility for what data they fill in the minutes.“
This was stated by the Deputy Chairman of the CEC, Rositsa Mateva, in the program “This Morning”.
Rechecking the protocols by the CEC means re-entering the data filled in the sectional protocols. The results announced by the commission are based on 100% of the introduced protocols of the SECs, Mateva said.
“We check where there are inconsistencies introduced. The CEC does not review the video recordings, and even if they do, we cannot eliminate discrepancies based on them. Even if we find any discrepancies in the protocol based on video surveillance, we have no legal basis to remove them. We cannot fix a sectional protocol, Rositsa Mateva also explained.
21 votes did not reach “Greatness“ to enter the parliament. According to her, this circumstance may give them grounds to request the annulment of the elections, but the judgment rests with the authorities under Art. 150 of the Constitution, which in turn will decide whether to appeal to the Constitutional Court.
„There is one difference of 8 votes for “Majesty“, in two of the protocols we found that 4 votes each were recorded in the protocols, but in the calculation point they were entered for the third one, because there are zero. We found the inconsistency and fixed it and that's why it became 21 votes. One protocol is for outside the country, I think number 625, the other is for Pazardjik, 11 section. However, there will be no more”, said the spokesperson of the CEC.
According to Mateva, there is no basis in the Election Code for the CEC to re-count the ballots.
„ Re-counting of ballots before entering the data in the calculation point can only be done in the RIC, when such a discrepancy is found during the transmission of protocols, which cannot be considered a technical error in the calculation. No one can request a recount if there is no change in the Electoral Code. If there is an appeal of the result, the Constitutional Court is referred, admits to consideration and considers that an expertise should be appointed, then a recount can be made. I don't think there is any reason for that“, the Deputy Chairman of the CEC also said.
In her words, the members of the SEC are obliged to fill in the protocols what they found during the census. If they tampered with the data, it is a crime and law enforcement should be involved.
Mateva also commented on the section in Belitsa, where there are doubts that ballots were added. According to her, the authorities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the prosecutor's office have been contacted, they have requested the protocol and the video recording from the CEC and will conduct an investigation.
„As far as I can see this woman is filling in blank ballots or making them invalid. It seems to me that the pen is used to write on ballots, which is unacceptable. A ballpoint pen should not be on the counting table. This is a violation of the Election Code not only on her part, but also on the part of the other members who accept it as normal. Each member of the CEC bears responsibility, said the deputy chairman of the CEC.
If a crime is established, the CEC can only seek administrative and criminal liability - a fine.
Mateva also noted that all the parties requested a change of the members of the sectional election commissions, the most of them being the two chairmen of the DPS, Jevdet Chakarov and Delyan Peevski.