In the 2024 election year, voters must trust that the Romanian electoral system is a safe one, which offers security guarantees at all levels and which, from a technical point of view, provides conditions of maximum fairness and transparency, according to the requirements of European and international standards in the matter, the president of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), Toni Grebla, said in a message on Tuesday, on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the institution’s activity.

According to him, the IT system for monitoring voting attendance and preventing illegal voting (SIMPV) has eliminated the possibility of multiple voting, while the implementation of the blockchain technical solution in SIMPV and in the IT System for the Centralization of Minutes (SICPV) makes any interference of any kind in the data flow impossible.

„As far as the activity of financing political parties is concerned, since taking over the leadership mandate of the institution, I have expressed very clearly that I will take all the necessary measures to ensure equidistantness towards political formations and the rigorous exercise of control over the financing of political parties and of electoral campaigns, respecting the principles of independence, impartiality, legality and transparency. The correct use of the tools we have at our disposal as an Authority with control powers in the sphere of financing political parties also implies ensuring the uniform application of legal regulations in the activity of financing political formations and electoral campaigns. As such, through the guidance and prevention actions carried out by AEP, among which I mention the periodic trainings, the partnership with the Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania (CECCAR) and the guidelines developed by the Authority, we aim to prevent deviations from the legal provisions and to standardize the interpretation and application of the rules in the financial-accounting field,’, Toni Grebla’s message also states.

He also states that the organization of electoral processes in the best conditions can only be achieved through partnership, cooperation and coherent and efficient institutional dialogue.

„In this sense, I express my gratitude for the good cooperation with our partners from the institutions responsible for organizing elections, such as the Ministry of Interior (MAI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), the Special Telecommunications Service (STS), the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the National Cybersecurity Directorate (DNSC) and the Romanian Post,” says Grebla.

The guarantee of free, fair and transparent elections remains the key to the activity of the Permanent Electoral Authority, while the exercise of the right to vote remains the key to the involvement and direct participation of citizens in the smooth running of society, both of which are essential for Romania’s democratic course, concludes Toni Grebla.

AGERPRES