Centre for Civic Education (CCE) received a notification from the senator, dr Branislav Radulović, that he will recommend to the Senate to include the financial management of the State Election Commission (SEC) during 2020 within the auditing plan for 2021.
The CCE has indicated multiple times to the improper financial management in SEC, starting from how the reimbursements were calculated and distributed, as well as daily allowances for business travels, and reimbursements for the usage of the private cars for official purposes, all the way up to the Decision on determining remuneration for work in the State Election Commission and the contracts of significant value that were not made under the existing law. Based on this collected evidence, the CCE had already submitted an Initiative to the SAI to give priority to the SEC’s financial operations during 2020 in its audit plan for 2021. Moreover, the CCE submitted today to the SAI the additional evidence related to one of the aspects of the controversial financial management of the SEC.
The access to the financial management of SEC has rocked the credibility of this key institution in the election process and this entire important process has been burdened unnecessarily. The CCE has, until now, due to some identified cases of irregularity, submitted three criminal charges to the Supreme State Prosecutor for abuse of position, and according to the information we have received from the Prosecution, two of these cases are in the screening phase.
The fact that the SEC was never a subject of auditing by SAI, seems to have lead to a relax approach of the responsible persons within that institution resulting in concerning relation to public finances.
The CCE expresses hope that the Senate of SAI will accept the recommendation of the senator in charge and include the SEC’s financial operations during 2020 in its audit plan for 2021.
Damir Suljević, Programme Associate