Gogic: Vote counting and certification of the Serb List remain challenges in electoral processes

Ognjen Gogic assessed that Kosovo generally does not face major problems regarding election conditions, but warned that the upcoming elections could once again encounter longstanding challenges — namely technical problems in vote counting and political attempts to disqualify the Serb List.

Gogic noted that election campaigns and election days themselves in previous electoral processes had passed in a relatively orderly atmosphere, without major pressure on voters that would undermine the regularity of the process. However, according to him, the critical point arises after polling stations close.

“The biggest problem the Central Election Commission (CEC) has faced has not only been the organization of election day itself, but rather the subsequent vote counting and announcement of results. After the February elections, results were delayed for a long time because the platform used by the CEC failed to function properly, and this was repeated during later election cycles as well,” Gogic recalled.

As one of the most serious incidents, Gogic pointed to irregularities related to voting for individual candidates from party lists during the previous elections. Nevertheless, he stressed that these irregularities did not fundamentally alter the election outcome, because only a small number of deputies — if any at all — lost mandates as a result, which, in his assessment, caused the entire case to be treated too lightly.

Gogic singled out attempts at the political misuse of the CEC as a particular problem, especially regarding the certification of Serbian representatives’ candidacies.

“The single biggest incident concerns the certification of the Serb List. During last year’s election cycles, the CEC first refused to certify the list itself, and then its individual candidates. Those decisions were subsequently overturned before the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel and the Supreme Court, because the Serb List and its candidates fulfilled all legal requirements,” he explained.

Gogic predicted that a similar scenario could occur again.

“We can anticipate what the scenario will look like. Representatives of Self-Determination in the CEC will probably vote against the certification of the Serb List, while other parties will likely remain restrained. Therefore, the matter will probably once again end up before second-instance bodies,” he stated.

Despite the aforementioned problems, Gogic believes it cannot be said that Kosovo lacks free and fair elections.

“The media landscape is relatively diverse and not under the complete control of the authorities, although the current government used budgetary funds to assist certain categories of citizens ahead of the elections, which is considered an abuse of position,” Gogic said.

According to him, the key issue is for the CEC to demonstrate resilience against political pressure during this electoral process.

“There are effective legal mechanisms in place. Although attempts at obstruction occur, in the end no one has been deprived of either their active or passive voting rights,” Gogic concluded.