Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Lozovik: The presence of cameras in polling stations does not guarantee against fraud

UDF.BY

"I'm a supporter of technological progress, but in the current difficult financial conditions, to equip all stations of Belarus with cameras are just unreal, even if one would like to".

This opinion was expressed in an interview with UDF.BY by Belarus' CEC's secretary Nikolai Lozovik, while commenting on Putin's proposal for the presidential elections in Russia, in order to prevent fraud and falsifications, to equip all polling stations with cameras, which are to work around the clock.

"Concerning various information innovations, the world practice shows, the fashion for these innovations passes, - said the CEC secretary. - In 2005, I attended a conference in Vienna on electronic voting, and there it was only said, that is was necessary to enhance facilities of the electronic voting and electronic monitoring of its progress. Last year in Vienna, the same views on the same conference were divided into two categories. In the first category are the countries, which use electronic voting and actively promote it. For example, Estonia, Norway, India, Korya . They point out such advantages as high speed, automated counting and reducing the human factor".

In addition, according to Lozovik, it was also the third group, whose members have already used electronic voting, and abandoned it.

"For example, the German Constitutional Court has banned electronic voting, in the Netherlands, after 14 years of practice, they also declined, - he said. - These countries refused for several reasons: the high cost of operation, the possibility of technical failures and hacker attacks, and, curiously enough, rising of the human factor".

Lozovik reminded that Russia has already had the practice of video surveillance at polling stations, but it wasn't widespread.

"First and foremost, because of high costs. Imagine, to install more than 90 thousand video cameras all over Russia, additionally you need a person who maintains the system, in some remote areas you have to build communication line. Moreover, even if one has cameras, falsifications and frauds are not excluded, when a pre-filmed material is presented as a valid one. It's a praiseworthy initiative for Russia. We will learn from their experience and think, whether we should adopt this practice", the CEC secretary of Belarus concluded.