CRTA: Many people want to defend electoral integrity; we haven't seen such interest before

Pavle Dimitrijević from the organization CRTA believes Serbia is heading towards an election year, with presidential elections anticipated soon. He urges those willing to defend electoral integrity to engage now, regardless of when parliamentary elections are called.

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There are many indications that this will be an election year.

The Republic Electoral Commission's decision to procure 30,000 new ballot screens, costing approximately six million euros, is viewed by CRTA as a cosmetic measure. Dimitrijević argues that this addresses superficial aspects rather than the fundamental problems plaguing the electoral process, such as voter intimidation, impunity for electoral violence, and media inequality. "These problems are unresolved, and a new electoral process is approaching – that is the whole essence of the story about the screens," he stated.

Dimitrijević stressed that while ballot screens can offer a degree of privacy, they cannot fully prevent violations of voting secrecy. He noted that voters themselves play a role by not publicly casting their ballots. Electoral committee members can observe suspicious behavior, like phone use or multiple people behind a screen, but the screens alone are insufficient. "The secrecy of voting is in the hands of the voter," he asserted, adding that committee members should caution voters who appear to be voting publicly.

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We can talk about whether the screens are cabins or cabins are screens, but in my opinion, this is all masking the real problems in the electoral process. These are pressures on voters, impunity for violence, media inequality...

CRTA questions the necessity of purchasing new screens now, suggesting it's part of an "election process makeover." Dimitrijević highlighted that critical issues like violence, pressure, blackmail, and vote-buying continue without adequate judicial response. "Investigations are stagnating, simply put – no one is held accountable. This vicious cycle of impunity continues, despite public testimonies and videos of violence seen by all of Serbia. And we are entering new elections in such an atmosphere," he said.

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The secrecy of voting is in the hands of the voter. If the voter does not respect their own right and does not want to exercise it, and votes publicly – it is up to the polling station committee to warn them. However, a screen cannot prevent a voter from voting publicly.

Dimitrijević believes voters are crucial in mitigating these problems. He urged citizens to know their rights, resist bribery, report illegal activities at polling stations, and file complaints if their rights are violated. "As citizens, we must defend ourselves from pressure, although without expecting the country's institutions to be 100 percent on our side. But if you know your rights, it will have a deterrent effect on those who think they can do anything by force," he advised. He also mentioned the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) recommendation for a full mission deployment.

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Investigations are stagnating, simply put – no one is held accountable. This vicious cycle of impunity continues, despite public testimonies and videos of violence seen by all of Serbia. And we are entering new elections in such an atmosphere.