ANEM and NUNS: Municipal election commissions should allow journalists to monitor their work.
The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), together with the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), calls on municipal electoral commissions (OIK) to enable independent media and all media workers to report on the work of the commissions and the electoral process. ANEM and NUNS remind that, according to the applicable law, municipal electoral commissions (OIK) are obligated to ensure that their sessions are public and transparent, without discrimination against reporters and the media they represent. However, to enter and observe the work at polling stations, it is necessary to obtain permission from the electoral board, and journalists are not allowed to violate the secrecy of voting, record voter lists, or photograph citizens behind the voting screens.
The Republic Electoral Commission (REC) has not yet issued any additional guidelines for monitoring the work of municipal electoral commissions.
ANEM warns that the Electoral Commission of the Municipality of Majdanpek has not decided on the request for accreditation of journalist and editor of the portal "Majdanpek Info," Martin Bežinarević, for more than two weeks, even though the electoral activities are already underway. ANEM believes that the practice of delaying and denying the public the right to be informed about the work of the electoral commission is unacceptable. ANEM calls on the Municipal Electoral Commission of Majdanpek to approve the request without further delay and to allow the journalist to monitor the Commission's work during the electoral process.
Weeks of delay do not contribute to a transparent and democratic electoral process, and administrative procedures must not be used as a means to restrict the work of journalists and the public's right to information. ANEM reminds that the Rules of Procedure of the Electoral Commission of the Municipality of Majdanpek explicitly states in Article 18 that public access to the Commission's work is ensured, among other things, by the presence of accredited journalists.
“Instead of a timely response, during this period I was referred back and forth between the Municipal Electoral Commission of Majdanpek and the Republic Electoral Commission. After I contacted the REC, I was informed that the local electoral commission was responsible for this issue. However, the Municipal Electoral Commission of Majdanpek then insisted again that it was not responsible for issuing accreditation. After I informed them that I would report this case to the Commissioner, journalists' associations, and the REC, I was told that the request would be decided 'at the next session,' without information on when it would be held. They did not specify a specific legal provision that stipulates that the accreditation of journalists must be decided by a vote of the entire Commission. If every session had to decide which media could attend and which could not, it would open the door for decisions that categorize media as suitable or unsuitable. Recently, during local elections, there were no issues, and now that I have reached out again, I received a different response. I do not understand this change in practice over the past few months,” emphasizes Bežinarević in an interview with ANEM.
ANEM and NUNS call for uniform interpretation of laws and regulations according to which the work of republic and municipal bodies must be transparent and public, including the work of municipal electoral commissions.
.png&w=3840&q=75)
