Bulgarian e-Government Minister Assigned Security Amid Threats

In a recent development, the Minister of e-Government in Bulgaria, Aleksandar Yolovski, has been provided with security by a prosecutor's decree. The move comes after evidence was gathered indicating threats against the minister, reportedly linked to the awarding of public contracts.

Minister Yolovski's newfound security detail was appointed following his testimony as a witness before a prosecutor associated with the State General Prosecutor's Office (SGP). While these security concerns are in the spotlight, the Ministry of Electronic Government (MEG) announced that Minister Yolovski is initiating a procedure to enable Bulgarian citizens to cast their votes using electronic voting machines in the second round of local elections.

This decision follows a ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC), which mandates that the minister must sign the certification of conformity for the voting machines to be used in the elections.

To meet this requirement, MEG certification teams are working tirelessly, even in overtime, to repeat the certification procedures that were already completed and signed by the deputy minister responsible for the process, Mihail Stoinov, before the first round of elections. The aim is to eliminate any potential risks of having machine votes invalidated, with Minister Alexander Yolovski personally endorsing the final certification.

The Ministry of Electronic Government is committed to ensuring transparency throughout this process. They will request permission from the Central Election Commission (CEC) to maintain complete openness and provide access to all the steps of the authentication process undertaken by the ministry.

Minister Yolovski is taking additional steps to ensure the credibility of the machine voting process. He has invited representatives from various organizations, including the State Agency "National Security" (SANS), political parties, coalitions, and initiative committees registered for the elections, as well as non-governmental organizations and registered observers. Additionally, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has been invited to monitor each phase of the procedure.

The order and access to information will be determined by the CEC, promising a comprehensive and transparent approach to the machine voting certification process. With the e-Government minister facing security concerns and working to enhance the electoral process, these developments continue to be in the spotlight in Bulgaria.

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