Gođevac: Government Secretary Has Access to Voter Register, Who Gave It to Him?

Ana Gođevac, a member of Serbia’s voter-register review commission from the Freedom and Justice Party, has questioned why government secretary Petar Janjić can access the unified voter register and citizens’ personal data.

Gođevac said information in files available to the commission shows that Janjić can inspect the register. She added that commission members from her party had received no explanation of why he has access or on what legal basis.

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Janjić, according to information in the files we can access, can view the unified voter register.

She also cited an answer from Serbia’s Information Commissioner, who said that people without legal authorization are not allowed to access voters’ data. Gođevac questioned whether the access could be connected to printing voter lists before elections or serve another purpose.

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Is this a link for printing lists before elections for the Progressive Party’s forces, or is the access intended for other purposes?

Gođevac further alleged that Minister Snežana Paunović has full access to the register while supporting what she described as an obstruction of the review. She said this would give Paunović knowledge of inconsistencies and anomalies in the register, as well as who receives access.

The opposition official rejected the idea that the voter register should be treated as a database of guaranteed votes for the Serbian Progressive Party. She said the Freedom and Justice Party would not allow the government to misuse citizens’ data and would continue informing the public about alleged SNS abuses linked to the register.

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The voter register is not a database of guaranteed votes for the Serbian Progressive Party.