Mr Aleksa Ivanovic

Speech

The President of Montenegro has decided to hold elections on 30 August 202. After two days, the SEC brought a calendar of election activities. The calendar is prepared in accordance with the deadlines for the commission of electoral actions in accordance with the law.

It was in those days that the COVID 19 virus situation began to re-establish. The picturesque situation in Montenegro is that in mid-June we were a free corona destination, and by the end of the year we had a sharp increase in the number of infected. From the point of view of the election, it is quite clear that we have come in with no experience on this issue. We acted quickly on a daily basis. In a way, it was a form of crisis management.

It is an interesting fact that after meetings with municipal election commissions, we learned in the last day that the situation with the spread of the virus in Montenegro is deteriorating rapidly. This meant that all the plans we discussed in the meetings and the education of the electoral boards of the polling board committees must change urgently. We acted quickly and instead of organizing training in the traditional way, i.e. in meetings in municipalities, we approached the preparation of materials for remote training. In that direction, we recorded videos that were being played via platforms and television programmers. We also had the support of the OSCE mission in Montenegro, with which there is long-term outstanding co-operation.

In addition to electronic training on the legal aspects of the election, we have technically trained on the measures of security during the process. The result that the election went in a fair and peaceful way, without the data indicated that there was a virus spreading directly related to election activities, makes us pleased. All electoral boards have been given enough medical supplies to make a safe election.

The learned lesson that under the conditions of the pandemic, increasing the number of requests to vote by letter, it opens up the dilemma that it is possible to allow everyone to vote in accordance with legal solutions.

There is a problem with how to provide voting via letter if there are a large number who request it. The law every EB has only one team to inforce voting via letter. Polling stations has on voting list up to 1,000 voters, predictable outing was more than 70%. If PS gets 10 request for voting via letter, and only one team that does it means if only 2 claimors in other municipalities will consume all legally available time they should be spent on estimation taking consideration distance from PS and place is requested. For example, distance 100km in Montenegro roads and landscape means that the team has to spend in one way for 2 hours, time for voting procedures and return the other 2 hours. In that situation only two requestors could vote in time prescribed by Law.

It was a reason why we recommended to finish the first voting of the requestors who are near PS, and if they have time to go to the person who is so far. Decision making could be made on the principles of professional estimation.

We should plan ahead of the elections start, which means considering the use of information technologies, means for the preparation, training of all in the electoral mechanism, public relations, public awareness, budgeting for additional money, and everything has to be transparent.

A lesson has also been learned regarding the unpredictable outbreak of the Covid 19 virus, and we point to a few examples:

Risk of dissemination of COVID virus in the company that is charged for printing voting lists and material.

We requested to get guaranties by the company that they will provide material on time, knowing that printing material is produced in near countries such as Italy or Slovenia.

We requested to have a reserve group of staff in a situation that some staff would be infected with.

We also face dilemma related to COVID infection in a situation that some of the additionally engage persons for the process of legally prepare list of the signatures that were submitted by the political parties and coalition could be infected. We had a reserve team for doing it.

The result was that everything was enforced well.

Another lesson learned is related to data protection brought properly in the election process. It should also be complete much before the election process.

The main characteristic of the implementation of elections in Montenegro is that the SEC has joined the elections with no experience or plans for these conditions, but that with work, professionalism and dedication, it has managed to conduct elections properly. While any exercise of rights should be predictable and guaranteed, it is obvious that the most important learned lesson is that based on this experience, long before the start of the elections, the planning and security of funds and conditions is to hold elections in extraordinary circumstances.