site.bta7,575,000 Ballots Printed for Voting in Bulgaria, 400,000 for Voting Abroad in Upcoming Parliamentary Elections

7,575,000 Ballots Printed for Voting in Bulgaria, 400,000 for Voting Abroad in Upcoming Parliamentary Elections


Sofia, September 23 (BTA) - A total of 7,575,000 ballot papers
have been printed for voting in Bulgaria and 400,000 for voting
abroad during the Bulgarian early parliamentary elections on
October 5, members of the public administration said at a
regular meeting of the Citizens' Board for Free and Transparent
Elections (CBFTE) on Tuesday.

NGO representatives spoke about the possibility to track ballots
until after they are cast and brought to constituency election
commissions.

Electoral irregularities can be reported round the clock at
telephone number 02/982-22-32 and at fax number 02/982-56-46,
which have been provided by the Interior Ministry, said an
expert with the Bodyguard Police Directorate.

The Interior Ministry has so far received 29 alerts about
electoral matters. Pretrial proceedings have been instituted in
six cases, and 160 protocols have been compiled. Nineteen
election-related alerts have been received at emergency number
112.

The National Audit Office reported at the meeting that by
Tuesday morning participants in the elections had received 350
donations, including 192,000 leva in cash donations. The amount
does not include the money of the candidates and the citizens'
initiative committees supporting some of them. Non-cash
donations include 162 movable assets, four immovable assets and
24 services. A total of 439 polling, advertising and public
relations agencies have been named as involved in the elections.

CBFTE's discussion focused on the way polling agencies unveil
their studies through the media. Prof. Mihail Mirchev said that
a requirement to say who has commissioned, conducted and
financed a given study is often ignored. Other requirements make
it mandatory for pollsters to name the time period during which
the information was obtained, the number of respondents, the
methods of obtaining the information, and whether the study is
representative or not. Mirchev called on the Central Election
Commission and the Council on Electronic Media to react urgently
to any inconsistencies in this respect.