Newsroom
OSCE clarifies votes counting procedures
SARAJEVO 17 November 2000
SARAJEVO, 17 November 2000 - The OSCE would like to clarify some issues in response to inaccurate complaints from certain political parties regarding procedures in the Counting Center.
"The OSCE has always been committed to ensuring that the Counting Center facilities were totally transparent and that political party observers have unfettered access," said Kåre Vollan, OSCE Deputy Head of Mission for Elections. "A natural result is that the OSCE receives a large number of questions about the various processes involved in the count. The problem is when parties complain publicly first, and ask questions later, because most if not all the questions they have are easily answered by the competent staff of the Counting Center."
The machines used to perform the count are the most up to date technology available, and the Counting Center staff performs full tests on all scanning equipment regularly throughout the day. By 1000 hrs this morning, the OSCE had performed 117 such tests. These tests have confirmed on a regular basis the complete reliability of the equipment, and party observers and journalists are invited to witness them to confirm this.
Another inaccurate statement by a political party alleged that there had been an error rate of up to 23% in one of the counts done. This is simply not true. We are monitoring the process closely, and the error rate is far below any manual process.
It is important - indeed, essential - for observers to ask questions, particularly regarding the technical issues involved in the counting process. Unfortunately, several stories reported recently in the press have their origins in the lack of complete information, resulting in a highly inaccurate picture of the counting process. The OSCE once again urges political parties to make sure their observers ask questions and carefully observe the entire process, and not make assumptions.
For further information, please contact OSCE Spokesperson Luke Zahner at ++387/(0)33 292-449 or ++387/(0)66 144-311.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.
"The OSCE has always been committed to ensuring that the Counting Center facilities were totally transparent and that political party observers have unfettered access," said Kåre Vollan, OSCE Deputy Head of Mission for Elections. "A natural result is that the OSCE receives a large number of questions about the various processes involved in the count. The problem is when parties complain publicly first, and ask questions later, because most if not all the questions they have are easily answered by the competent staff of the Counting Center."
The machines used to perform the count are the most up to date technology available, and the Counting Center staff performs full tests on all scanning equipment regularly throughout the day. By 1000 hrs this morning, the OSCE had performed 117 such tests. These tests have confirmed on a regular basis the complete reliability of the equipment, and party observers and journalists are invited to witness them to confirm this.
Another inaccurate statement by a political party alleged that there had been an error rate of up to 23% in one of the counts done. This is simply not true. We are monitoring the process closely, and the error rate is far below any manual process.
It is important - indeed, essential - for observers to ask questions, particularly regarding the technical issues involved in the counting process. Unfortunately, several stories reported recently in the press have their origins in the lack of complete information, resulting in a highly inaccurate picture of the counting process. The OSCE once again urges political parties to make sure their observers ask questions and carefully observe the entire process, and not make assumptions.
For further information, please contact OSCE Spokesperson Luke Zahner at ++387/(0)33 292-449 or ++387/(0)66 144-311.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.