Samir KajosevicPodgoricaBIRNMarch 10, 202311:45Following reports of presidential candidates using false signatures of support, the prosecution has been urged to investigate any breaches of citizens’ personal data in the campaign.

Montenegro Urged to Probe Alleged Fake Signatures in Presidential Campaign

Election billboard for presidential candidate Milo Djukanovic in the Montenegrin capital Podgorica. Photo: BIRN/Samir Kajosevic

The head of Montenegro’s Central Electoral Commission, Nikola Mugosa, on Thursday called on the prosecution to investigate personal data breach cases, after media reported the use of false signatures by some presidential candidates.

Presidential elections will be held in Montenegro on March 19, with seven candidates running for the office including the incumbent Milo Djukanovic.

Since March 8, the election commission and civic organizations have reported that dozens of citizens claimed their personal data were misused for false signatures for presidential candidates.

“The Commission can’t verify the authenticity of the signatures but the prosecution is responsible for further proceedings on any abuses in the election process. We urge the prosecutor’s office to promptly act on possible abuses related to breaches of citizens’ personal data,” Mugosa told the media.

On March 9, the Basic prosecution in Podgorica said it would investigate any personal data breaches in the campaign.

According to electoral law, every presidential candidate had to submit to the commission at least 8,101 supporting signatures, with a citizen’s unique identification number, JMBG, and ID number.

After the election commission launched signaturechecking software on March 8 and called on citizens to check if their personal data were misused by any presidential candidates, dozens of citizens reported breaches to the commission and civic organizations.

Media reported that one presidential candidate, influencer Jovan Radulovic Jodzir, had most of the false signatures reported to the commission and civic organizations.

On March 1, he called on citizens on his social media channels to send him their personal data so he can collect enough signatures before the deadline.

The next day, the Agency for Personal Data Protection said he didn’t violate the law, stressing that citizens sent him their data voluntarily.

“Since the beginning of the campaign, everything I did was transparent. Support signatures were collected in every city and delivered to me later, but I don’t know who signed them or if one of the political parties did it, in order to eliminate me,” Radulovic said on March 9.

During the last presidential campaign, in April 2018, over 300 reports of false signatures were sent to the electoral commission for two independent candidates, Vasilije Milickovic and Hazbija Kalac, and for a leader of the then opposition Prava Crna Gora, Marko Milacic.

The prosecution launched an investigation into a personal data breach but there were no indictments.

Milena Gvozdenovic, from the NGO Centre for Democratic Transition, CDT, urged the prosecution to investigate personal data breaches.

“Despite the investigations and graphological expertise in 2018 there were no charges for false signatures and we have the same situation five years later. We hope the prosecution will be professional this time, and protect citizens’ rights,” Gvozdenovic said on March 9.

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