Sofia Electoral Commission Ballot Counting Overrun by Chaos

The Sofia Municipal Electoral Commission (OIC) is reported in total disarray Monday over lack of organization and long delays in the counting of ballots from the October 23 presidential and local elections.

The news was reported by Darik radio, citing the OIC Chair, Marina Belcheva, saying that everyone – people from voting polls' electoral commissions and OIC members are exhausted and running out of capacity. Scores of election officials are extremely irritated and frozen cold from waiting all night outside the Sofia Universiada Hall where the ballots are counted and the protocols from the voting polls officially delivered.

Belcheva informs that there are 3 500 protocols, many with mistakes, and not enough staff to process them.

Mid-day Monday people are still waiting in line outside the hall surrounded by strong police presence and numerous taxi shuttles, buses and cabs. Many say they slept on the plastic bags filled with ballots. Some have left, taking the ballots home, which is banned.

When a team of reporters entered the facility, those waiting started to shout "mafia" and confronted policemen, who attempted to send the journalists away, saying there should be reports showing what they had to endure.

Meanwhile, the election campaign headquarters of the main opposition force, the left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, announced they filed a complaint in the case with the Central Electoral Commission, CEC.

"The lack of organization and order in the Universiada Hall creates conditions for violations of the election process. Bags filled with ballots, strewn all over the floor, and people sleeping on them have nothing to do with how we see fair and democratic elections," the complaint reads.

It also claims that a large number of ballots have been abandoned and gives as example a school in the Vitosha district where the ballots have been left in the care of the school's security guard.

BSP demand from CEC to undertake emergency measures otherwise the runoff in Sofia would be under a serious threat.

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