A few days after the request of the postal company DHL to the Central Election Commission (CEC) for the settlement of outstanding financial obligations for the service related to diaspora voting, an official response has come from the head of the CEC, Ilirjan Celibashi.
In an official letter, Celibashi asks the postal company to withdraw the pressure to apply late payment interest, emphasizing that the CEC is not obligated to make payments, including additional penalties, without first proving that the service was performed in accordance with the contract.
Celibashi explains that the fact that DHL has forwarded the invoices to the CEC system does not automatically oblige the institution to make the payment. He emphasizes that, according to the contract and the relevant legislation, each service provided must be verified in terms of quantity, quality and time frame. Only after this process, the CEC is obliged to pay the payment. “As in any other similar contract, based on the content of the contract itself, as well as the relevant legislation, the service undertaken to be provided by one party (DHL in this case) will have to be proven to have been provided in quantity, quality and time. This is a clear contractual provision in the contract subject to treatment in this communication. Acceptance of the provision of the service by the other party (CEC) obliges the latter to pay for the service provided,” the CEC letter states.
In the same letter, the head of the CEC calls on DHL to give up the pressure for the payment of interest on arrears, underlining that such a request is unjustified, given that it has not yet been officially proven that the service was performed according to the contract. Celibashi also asks the postal company to appoint a special representative to follow the process of fulfilling contractual obligations and to finalize legal procedures for payment.
DHL had reminded the CEC a few days ago of the unpaid obligations for services related to the delivery of materials for the diaspora's voting. Following this request, the CEC has been put in the spotlight. The issue remains open and it is expected that further verifications will shed light on the manner in which this service was executed and whether DHL will be able to obtain the requested payment, along with additional penalties.
