MontenegrinMaladministration and irregularities recorded until 5:00 PM
In the northern region, between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM, there were irregularities at polling stations in Berane (polling station no.20), Plav (polling station no. 16) and Rozaje (polling station no. 15) where principle of voting was violated in a way that voters publicly said who they voted for while voting committee did not declare ballots invalid. Also, at polling stations in Berane (polling station 66) and Bijelo Polje (polling station 2) election observers noticed promotional material ten meters far from the entrance to the polling station and at the very entrance to the polling station.
Centre for Monitoring and Research- CeMI, due to interviewing voters immediately in the environment of polling stations and based on observers’ information as well as an important number of citizens, considers that the procedure represents violation of election procedure and secrecy in voting. According to Dedovic, the organized interviewing somehow disturbs voters and members of election administration bodies and they invite State Election Commission and Municipal Election Commissions to prevent further interviewing of citizens at polling stations and within 50 meters from the polling station because otherwise the democratic electoral process will be seriously damaged. Also, CeMI announces to submit a COMPLAINT to the State and Municipal Election Commissions with the proposal based on the article 72 paragraph 4 of the Law on Election of Councilors and Members of Parliament to invalidate electoral process at the polling stations no. 11 and 12 in Kotor, no. 6C and 67 in Podgorica and no. 52 in Bar due to interviewer’s presence immediately at to polling stations.
Maladministration and irregularities recorded until 1:00 PM
There were more maladministration and irregularities between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM.
In Bijelo Polje, 12 persons serving criminal offences started a hunger strike because they were not allowed to accomplish their voting rights. Also, at the polling station no.30 in Kolasin, there was a physical conflict between the president of electoral committee and an unknown person, immediately at the polling station. In Berane, at the polling station no. 52, the principle of secrecy in voting was violated in a way that voters publicly said who they voted for while voting committees did not declare ballots invalid.
When it comes to coastal region, at the polling stations no. 11 and 12 in the municipality of Kotor, there were persons interviewing voters immediately after leaving polling stations while in Herceg Novi at a polling station, person voted without previously proving the identity by direct access to personal documents. At polling stations 8A and 9B in Podgorica, there was recorded that electoral committees approved voting although it was determined the existence of invisible ink on the voters’ fingers while at the polling station 4B person who was mistakenly applied invisible ink at the polling station 4A could not accomplish his/her voting right at his/her own polling station. At the polling station 06B, also in Podgorica, 3 persons used their voting right twice. This fact was recorded in minutes of electoral committee.
Maladministration and irregularities recorded until 11:00 AM
Electoral process at polling stations that were not open from 7 AM continued.
At polling station no. 61 in Bijelo Polje voting was temporarily suspended based on the decision of electoral committee members because activists of one of the electoral lists gathered close to the polling station.
CeMI’s observers noticed maladministration at the polling station no. 9 in Budva where the promotional material was thrown close to the entrance to the polling station.
As an example of serious violation of secrecy in voting, there was a situation at the polling station no. 25 in Kolasin where the principle of secrecy in voting was violated in a way that voter and the president of the electoral committee came together in the polling place.
CeMI’s observers were not allowed to be present at polling places in several polling stations but through a successful communication between CeMi and Municipal Electoral Commissions this problem was solved.
Maladministration and irregularities recorded until 09:00 AM
Two polling stations were not open at 07:00 AM in the accordance with the article 70 of the Law on Election of Councilors and Members of Parliament, one in Ulcinj and the other in Pljevlja.
According to Dedovic, more irregularities were recorded in Podgorica where we have the case of serious violation of secrecy in voting at the polling station 117 when the person publicly said who he/she will vote for. After that, one of the authorized representatives of the political party at that polling station tore up ballot which was then put in the ballot box. In this way the procedure of declaring the ballot invalid was drastically violated. Due to great procedural omissions, CeMI considers that voting should be annulled and repeated at this polling station. Also, Dedovic states that CeMI’s observers were not allowed to be present at polling places in several polling stations but through successful communication between CeMi and Municipal Electoral Commissions this problem was solved. CeMI will give further information of the turnout and process of electoral procedure at 12:00 PM while the first preliminary results they will announce around 9:00 PM.
