Voters expect prison?

The thousands of votes of candidates for MPs within political subjects appear to bear serious consequences for the perpetrators. The state prosecution, which days ago activated in all municipalities, did not reveal how far the investigation has arrived so far, nor if any persons have been interviewed on the issue. Details did not give even the basic prosecution in Prizren in the first municipality where investigations of vote manipulation are launched.

Subtitled to request, we announce that the case is in the early phase of the investigation. Because of the confidential nature of the procedure, the Constitutional Prosecutor in Prizren cannot provide details or comments at this stage. Any information will be made public in accordance with legislation in force, when this is possible”, said the Basic Prosecutor in Prizren.

But former Supreme Court Chairman Fejzullah Hasani says commissioners in the counting centre, as well as candidates for MPs, could be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison if proven involved in the voting manipulation process.

As far as MPs' candidates are concerned, according to Hasan, the right to be deputies for up to four years could be lifted.

“The moment abuse is argued, the law must act more harshly because it has seriously damaged the process and damaged us as a state and I am convinced that institutions, the court, should reflect in a sense that they are ruthless in proclaiming sentences. The law is clear, the law imposes enforcement law on such abusers to deprive them of the right to be an MP in the period 1-4 years. The maximum punishment rate is up to 5 years in prison... when you see the massive amount of vote-adding of some candidates is hard to believe they haven't been aware but this has to be proven by procedure. I don't rule out the possibility that either of them has cooperated with one or several members at the center of the count in order to add votes” Fejzullahu told RTV21

Serious non-compliances in the candidates' votes for MPs forced the Central Election Commission for a full recount of all candidates' votes for MPs. The recount revealed dozens, hundreds, even thousands of votes that were added and removed from candidates for MPs within political parties. Lawyer Ardian Bajraktari says alienation of citizen will should not be allowed in any form

“Within the penal code is a chapter of criminal acts that are related to the vote's right, and we are dealing with elements of criminal acts with particular emphasis on counterfeiting the election results, and when this work is carried out by persons who have public authorization, then the penalty rate is in prison for up to 5 years. The prosecution at this stage and the court in the following phase should have been uncompetitive in addressing this issue that we have the opposite of the will of citizens and should not be tolerated in any option”, Bajraktari said.

Recounting of votes in all municipalities according to the Central Election Commission will last up to two weeks until the process has been completed fully in 7 municipalities so far. /Periscope