site.btaCentral Election Commission Surprised to Learn about Supply of 199 Extra Voting Machines, Interior Minister Orders Probe

November 11 (BTA) - The Central Election Commission (CEC)
 received a letter late Wednesday to be informed about the
supply of 199 new voting machines. The machines are stored by
their supplier Ciela Norma in Sofia.

After acquainting itself with the case, CEC has made two
decisions - to immediately inform caretaker Interior Minister
Boyko Rashkov, who is in charge of the elections, and the State
Agency for National Security, and to request additional
information from Ciela Norma, CEC spokesperson Tsvetozar Tomov
told Nova TV on Thursday morning. He said that CEC was
completely surprised to find out about the new 199 voting
machines in storage.

Minister Rashkov has ordered an urgent probe to find out the
details surrounding Ciela Norma's newly appeared voting
machines, his Ministry reported Thursday. The probe will be
concluded by the end of the day (Thursday) and the public will
be notified about the findings.

Tomov said that the company has asked in the letter it sent, to
use 427 machines for repairs of equipment to be used the Sunday
elections. Ciela Norma argue that of the 5,000 voting machines
tested, 139 were found to be defective.

According to Tomov, these defects are not major and the question
 remains why they want to use 427 machines for repairing only
139 such. The 427 machines in question include the 199 CEC just
found out about, as well as the other 228 machines that were in
the media spotlight, Tomov said.

The election campaign in Bulgaria was inflamed last week by 228
voting machines in excess of the additional 1,600 which will be
used in the
 November 14 elections for President and Parliament. The leader
of the formerly ruling GERB party and ex-Prime Minister Boyko
Borissov said the machines, stored in a warehouse, are being
prepared to manipulate the vote. Ciela Norma, which has procured
 the voting machines for the elections later this month, said
the 228 units were owned by producer Smartmatic and were
intended for demonstrations in Albania and Georgia, and other
uses in Bulgaria unrelated to the November elections.

He was adamant that CEC will not allow the use of machines whose
 factory serial numbers are not known and which lack permits,
including for repair purposes.

Tomov said that in the case some voting machines break down on
election day, people can vote with paper ballots. This incidence
 is less than one per cent, he added.
 
The problem is that tension and distrust in the election process
 and use of voting machines are being created shortly before
election day, he argued.  

At a news briefing later on Thursday CEC spokespersons Tzvtozar
Tomov and Rossitsa Mateva were categorical that there is no
practical ot legal possibility ro replace voting machines in the
 Sunday elections.

Mateva specified that 11,936 voting machines will be used in the
 elections on November 14. There are a total of 12,837 voting
machines available on the territory of the country, which are
are owned by the state, she added.
***

Interior Minister Rashkov told journalists in the southern town
of Kurdzhali that currently there is no information that gives
reason to believe the additionally supplied machines by Ciela
Norma were supposed to be used for electroal manipulations.

Rashkov further noted that the purpose for which the additional
machines were imported by Ciela Norma will be established. He
said the company owner been approached and has provided an
explanation.

The Interior Minister also explained that the voting machines,
indended to be used and paid for by the State, are strictly
guarded by police. He added that CEC has ordered that the voting
 machines not be mixed with the additional ones, which has not
happened.

Rashkov said he has not ordered his Ministry to guard other
machines owned by the supplying company.  

According to caretaker Justice Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev, the
appearance of additional voting machines aims to discredit the
elections. Ciela Norma's actions are deliberate and the links
between the company and the previous incumbents should be
examined, he said prior to the Supreme Judicial Council's
Thursday plenum.

The Justice Minister described the appearance of additional
devices as strange, adding that the Government will take
measures to guarantee fair elections. Everything possible is
being done to isolate the additional machines, which falls under
 CEC's purview.

DT,RY/MY,PP
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