Voting on exiles is going through problems, called violation of their rights

Posting for exiles has caused many problems in recent elections.

This way of voting, for Vetvendosje Movement MP Albulen Haxhiu, is a violation of human rights.

Haxhiu, who is also chairman of the Commission for Legislation, said the vote could be held through the embassy as well.

The “estimates that nothing has been done to the problems of voters abroad is only 15,000 and fair for voting, but abroad there are 30 percent of the people. The vote by office is a violation of their rights, and we have spoken to the ombudsman. We discussed that they vote not only in office but also through embassy. We have a government that doesn't work, and for this project this law was not addressed”, Haxhiu said.

In terms of voting procedures abroad, a public suspicion organised by the Kosovo Democratic Institute and the Commission for Legislation, Mandate, Imunee, the Assembly Order and Supervisor of the Anti-Corruption Agency was discussed.

Albulen Hasani from KDI said problems have emerged since voting applications abroad, where accounts have been blocked. It disclosed the CEC's data, which speaks of more than 15,000 applications approved in proportion to more than 20 thousand applications of exiles.

We know that Kosovo has only been allowed to vote abroad for local elections, central and referendum. The vote from abroad has presented problems, especially in recent elections. Because there were a lot of citizens abroad. While mechanisms imposed by the CEC, voter registration abroad has been only electronically posted. This has caused major problems since the account itself was blocked by numerous demands. According to the CEC Secretariat, about 20,000 and 354 persons have applied abroad to vote, 15 thousand and 118 people have been approved and 5 thousand and 286 requests have been rejected, causing this discussion to be re-opened”, Hasani said.

That there are numerous diaspora complaints of voting outside Kosovo, independent MP Korab Sejdiu says. He said a bill should be made in relation to these demands of citizens.

During our meetings as a commission, we have complaints from citizens abroad, and they have followed the will to vote but have not been defeated by bureaucratic procedures. We had a wish to have more participants, but most of them rejected it because of procedures. We're here to vote on the commission to address the provisions of the law on voting in embassies and counseling of the Republic of Kosovo abroad, I believe we've come to make a bill on changing these difficulties”

While Driton Qariqi from D4D said the analyses made show there is no international instrument for voting abroad.

“The type of elections abroad and the way of voting, while a more detailed analysis concerns the countries of the region and the EU. According to these tests in conclusion. There is no international legal instrument for voting abroad, the Diudacrition of each State, Kosovo allows voting for no legislative, local and referendum elections, Kosovo applies by mail, most of the countries do not allow voting from abroad for local elections”, Qrerici said.

Otherwise, KDI has received a request from the Parliamentary Research Commission to investigate ways of voting abroad, the Evrope and the US.

This project has been implemented by KDI for more than three years and its goal is to offer expertise to commissions. /Economia Online/