Serbia

1.THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND BE ELECTED.

  1. Do visually impaired (hereafter VI) people suffer any restrictions to their rights to vote and/or to be elected? If yes, give details.

    In Serbian Electoral Code there are specific stipulations which provide guarantees for blind people and other disabled persons, during voting procedures through voting only with personal assistant.

    Unfortunately there are no stipulations for the blind to provide specific means for voting. It means so far, in Serbia there are no legal possibilities which allow blind persons a complete secret ballot.    

    text of Serbian Electoral Code is as well as follow: 

    “Law on Election of Deputies

    Article 72

    A voter who is unable to the polling station to vote  personally ( blind, disabled or illiterate person ) has the right to take a person to replace him on the way to his instructions, mark the ballot, or do the voting.

    Method of voting for voters in paragraph 1 this Article shall be inserted in the record.”

  2. During election campaigns what measures are taken to ensure that VI people are ensured full autonomy concerning the availability of information distributed by candidates, access to pre-electoral meetings, access to different campaign media?
    No special measures are taken.
  3. Are special measures put in place to ensure that polling stations are accessible to VI people?
    No.
  4. Within polling stations, what measures are taken to ensure that VI people can exercise their rights in an autonomous and confidential manner?
    see question 1
  5. In the case of proportional elections (by lists of candidates), what measures are taken to ensure that VI people can exercise their rights in an autonomous and confidential manner?
    see question 1
  6. Are their measures in place to assist VI people in the polling booths and when casting their vote in the urns?
    see question 1
  7. Are voting machines in place in your country? If yes, please detail how these are made accessible to VI people.
    No

2. PARTICIPATION IN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS CONCERNED WITH THE PUBLIC AND POLITICAL LIFE OF THE COUNTRY, AND IN THE ACTIVITIES AND ADMINISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES.

  1. Can VI people in your country participate in an unrestricted manner in political parties, unions, public and political organisations and associations?
    Yes
  2. Are their VI people in who have been elected to political, trade-union or associative office in your country?
    Yes.
  3. Do VI people in your country have unrestricted access to administrative office, including at top-level?
    No.

3. FORMING AND JOINING ORGANISATIONS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

  1. Please give an overview of the number/type of associations or organisations representing VI people in your country.
    There is only one representing organization in Serbia for blind an WI. It is Union of blind of Serbia with 44 local organizations for the blind and WI.
  2. What is the role played by these associations in representing VI people?
    General law protects blind and WI and provide psychological and social support for them.
  3. How are VI people included in associations representing them?
    They can be included in many ways. For instance in culture life, music life, sports and chess organization for the blind and WI and so on.

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