Acting ex officio the Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination determined direct prolonged discrimination based on disability in participation in public and political life by SEC against persons with physical disabilities.
The discrimination occurs due to the inaccessibility for persons with physical disabilities to the regional office of SEC in the municipality of Karpos. This office is the place where people living in the municipalities of Karpos, Gjorce Petrov and Saraj deposit their signatures in support of independent candidates for members of municipal councils or citizens.
The CPPD inspected the premises of the regional office and concluded that, except for persons with physical disabilities, access to this office is also difficult for the elderly and persons with impaired health.
The CPPD issued a general recommendation advising that SEC take all necessary emergency action to ensure the right of persons with physical disabilities to support one of the independent candidate lists for the upcoming local elections. Having in mind the short deadlines for collecting signatures, the CPPD urges SEC to act on this general recommendation as soon as possible.