site.btaDeputy PM: "Bulgaria Ready to Counter Cyberattacks at March 26 Elections"; Supreme Court Dismisses Single Appeal against Voting Machines Procurement Procedure

Deputy PM: "Bulgaria Ready to Counter Cyberattacks at March 26 Elections"; Supreme Court Dismisses Single Appeal against Voting Machines Procurement Procedure

Sofia, February 16 (BTA) - "We are taking into account the risk of hacking attacks that could come from anywhere. We are ready to respond in many different ways. I don't think we will let the [March 26 early parliamentary] elections run into serious problems in this respect," Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Stefan Yanev said in Brussels on Thursday, quoted by BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov.

"The caretaker Cabinet is doing everything necessary for the normal conduct of the elections," Yanev also said.

In Sofia, Central Election Commission (CEC) member and spokesperson Kamelia Neikova told journalists that just a single appeal has been lodged against the public procurement procedure for voting machines, arguing that the time limits for the procurement were not respected. The Supreme Administrative Court examined the appeal and dismissed the case, Neikova added. The CEC spokespersons said that there have been expressions of interest in the delivery of voting machines for the March 26 early parliamentary elections.

The CEC launched a competitive procedure with negotiation for the supply or rental of 12,500 voting machines on February 11. The estimated cost is 12.5 million leva exclusive of VAT. The actual price may not exceed 15 million leva before VAT (18 million leva after VAT). Tenders must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on February 22. The machines must arrive in Bulgaria by March 10, the software must be installed by March 18, and the devices must be delivered at the voting sections by March 25.

Now that the CEC has registered the Reload Bulgaria Movement, the number of parties registered to contest the March 26 elections has reached 13, while the number of coalitions remains unchanged at 9. Thirteen constituency election commissions have registered a total of 21 independent candidate nomination committees. The largest number of independent candidates, five, has been registered in Sofia's Multi-member Constituency No. 23.

The Middle European Class Party has joined the United Patriots coalition, CEC spokesperson Alexander Andreev told journalists.

A total of 8,960 applications for voting abroad have been submitted on the CEC Internet site. The largest number has come from Turkey, the UK and Spain. Another 92 applications have been relayed by the Foreign Ministry. The deadline for such submissions is February 28, Neikova said.