Two days before the first round of the presidential election, the transparency of the ballot is at the forefront of everyone’s attention. The opposition and civil society are particularly concerned about the modalities of vote counting as provided by the new electoral code, which the National Election Management Agency (ANaGE) says it is following to the letter.
Indeed, the new electoral code does not provide for the posting of results in front of the polling station, nor the handing over of minutes to representatives of the candidates. Additionally, the National Election Management Agency strongly advises against taking photos of the results, which it believes could cause public disorder and lead to judicial prosecution.
Strict compliance with the law
The Bar Association calls for “strict compliance with the law.” No text, it says in essence, prohibits photographing the results during the counting, as several candidates wish to do.
“Between what is prohibited by law and discouraged, I think you see the gap. What the law prohibits is even subject to sanctions if done. What the law does not prohibit, precisely, should not be invented. We cannot go beyond what the text provides,” emphasizes Me Djerandi Laguerre Dionro, the Bar President.
The issue stems from a statement by the National Election Management Agency, published in mid-April, raising the threat of criminal sanctions because taking photos during the counting, it says, is likely to provoke public disorder.
Climate of suspicion
“I never said the word ‘prohibited.’ I advise candidates to avoid filming the results, for the simple reason that – you know, like me – on social networks, one can fabricate any results one wants. Do you think it is normal to encourage people to create trouble? I think not,” says Ahmed Bartchiret, President of ANaGE.
“A piece of advice, one can follow it or not,” responds one candidate, while several observers fear that this climate of suspicion may provoke tensions on the evening of the vote, at the time of counting.