site.btaPresident Radev: Achievements of Modern World Are Thanks to Democratic Elections

Sofia, November 9 (BTA) - President Rumen Radev Thursday unveiled the 26th international conference of the Association of European Election Officials (AEEO), mottoed Conscious Voters in the Digital Age and hosted by the Bulgarian Central Election Commission (CEC).

In his opening address Radev said that it will not be an exaggeration to say that the achievements of the modern world are thanks to the democratic elections. "Today, thanks to elections, the political ideas get transformed in political power," Radev said. In his words, the democratic elections are also a criterion of the civilized status of a society. The head of State stressed that the organization of elections is a difficult and responsible task which is to be carried out with a lot of knowledge, integrity, reason, impartiality, and courage.

Radev said that technological development and the free movement of people pose a number of challenges to the organization of elections. He said that there are Bulgarians living in many different places abroad while the Bulgarian authorities do not have the capacity to provide polling stations everywhere. "A huge part of these people are deprived of their voting right. This is why we are working hard for the introduction of electronic distance voting, which however, is also connected with serious problems such as personal data protection, ballot secrecy and ensuring fair voting," Radev said.

In an address to the event, CEC Chairman Ivilina Vassileva said that the conference is devoted to the challenges posed by the development of ICT and its impact on the voting process, campaigning and voters' awareness. The conference will try to demonstrate the role of the election administration bodies in providing full and accurate information to the people about their right to vote and the other aspects of the election process. The conference will also provide a platform for exchange of expertise and good practices.

Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev told the participants in the forum that the new modes of voting can be accompanied by a shadow of doubt as to their credibility. "We can stop and ask ourselves whether voting in one's place of permanent residence is justified when technologically, one can vote from their smartphone," Donchev said. In his words, the important question now is what is that people want: direct vs indirect democracy. "At the moment the direct democracy is fully technologically possible. Also possible is the daily democracy, which from one point of view is the perfect democracy. However, try to imagine what solutions will this democracy produce and what their impact will be on the institutional order in countries who have been having such an order for one or two centuries," Donchev asked.

The Bulgarian CEC is a member of AEEO since the creation of the Association in 1991. This is the first time when CEC hosts the AEEO conference. In 2017 CEC took over the chairmanship of the Association and CEC Chairperson Vassileva became AEEO President.