Foreign Ministry has sent 129 staff to assist in voting abroad
21 October 2011 News
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent abroad 129 employees from Sofia to assist with the process of voting in the first and second rounds of the presidential election . Most of them, 115, are in Turkey. They have been appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs as members of the Central Election Commission. Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be present at all polling stations in our southern neighbour. In the remaining countries where voting is being held, the Ministry has ensured the participation of staff of diplomatic and consular representations.
Following a decision by the Central Election Commission, 161 polling stations in 58 countries have been opened for the 2011 presidential elections. At the request of the Ministry, 300 000 ballot papers have been printed and distributed for elections abroad.
In accordance with the Electoral Code, the protocols presented by the section election commissions where voting is held abroad are transmitted electronically at the end of Election Day. For this reason, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided 59 mobile devices for sections being opened in places other than diplomatic and consular representations.
Six foreign organisations have been accredited to send election observers. Furthermore, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe will be represented by the Danish NGO Support Initiative for Liberty and Democracy (SILBA), Germany’s Greens party and the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria.