Estonia Shares Experiences on Preparing for e-Elections with Macedonia*
20.07.2010
Nr 236-E
This month specialists from the e-Governance Academy will be in Macedonia to carry out the development project, supported by the Estonian Foreign Ministry, to create the capability for electronic identity in Macedonia.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that the capability to create electronic identity is a prerequisite for implementing modern e-services, including e-voting. “The e-Governance Academy has experience in sharing Estonia’s IT-related know-how with our development co-operation partners. For example, projects have taken place in or are being prepared for Georgia, Afghanistan and Palestine,” Paet stated. “The project being carried out in Macedonia establishes the framework for the know-how of the Estonian government and of IT businesses to be implemented there in the future. The current stage of the project is aimed more at making preparations and increasing awareness,” he added.
Electronic identity in Estonia, which for citizens means the electronic possibilities of an ID card or Mobile ID, has received widespread recognition in the world as a secure and practical base for identifying a user for the purpose of e-services. With their electronic identities, Estonian citizens can use both public and banking services. In the 2009 local government elections the opportunity to cast an e-vote was utilised by 104 000 people, which made up 15% of the votes cast.
The idea to develop electronic identity in Macedonia got its start in 2009, when the President of the Republic spoke during his visit to the Republic of Macedonia about the possibilities of using electronic identity (eID) to vote in the Estonian local government elections that were going on at the same time.
The Foreign Ministry is supporting the project to share electronic identity-related know-how with Macedonia with 148 420 kroons (9 485 EUR) from the Foreign Ministry’s budget for development co-operation and humanitarian aid.
The e-Governance Academy has shared Estonia’s experiences in developing an e-state with experts from Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cuba, Georgia, Hungary, India, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, Pakistan, Palestine, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan.
