SEC buys 24 UBIK fingerprint devices for Brvenica in urgent procurement
Emergency direct-negotiation purchase of 24 fingerprint machines (€200,000) covered Brvenica’s polling places while SEC waits for a November report from Dermalog.
The State Election Commission (SEC) secured functionality for 24 UBIK fingerprint devices — one for each of Brvenica’s 24 polling stations — through an urgent public procurement that was completed by direct negotiation and cost €200,000.
The emergency purchase was needed after the maintenance and warranty contract with the supplier Dermalog expired on 11 August, the SEC said, and the commission is preparing a new public tender. Because a fatality involving the mayor of Brvenica prompted a mayoral rerun, the SEC submitted and received approval for an urgent procurement from the Public Procurement Bureau to cover the immediate need.
Radica Risteska, spokesperson for the SEC, said: "It is our duty to ensure without interruption that voters can exercise their right to vote, which is why we made a purchase for functionality of the UBIK devices, namely 24 UBIK devices needed to conduct the elections at the 24 polling stations. In addition, the State Election Commission has also provided spare devices, of course to avoid any potential technical problem with a particular device. Besides having spare UBIK devices, we also have IT experts who will be present on the ground at the polling stations."
Wider coverage and limits on future polls
While the SEC arranged the 24 devices required in Brvenica, almost 4,000 other fingerprint machines nationwide are currently without warranty because the Dermalog contract expired. SEC chair Bojan Maricic said the commission will wait for a supplier report from Dermalog in November before launching a new tender; until that report is received, no other regular or early elections can be scheduled.
Brvenica municipality in the Tetovo region has six candidates registered for the mayoral contest and a total of 24 polling stations. At the last municipal vote turnout was just over 45 percent in the first round and above 55 percent in the second round.
Election silence for the Brvenica vote began at midnight on Friday and will continue until voting ends on Sunday at 19:00. The last comparable elections were held last year in October and November.
By Miomir Serafinovic
Photo: press material from the event
