UNB, Dhaka :
The Election Commission (EC) is highly unlikely to go for digital voting in the next national election as the two major political parties-Awami League and BNP-are now at loggerheads over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
EC officials said the Commission will require some 3 lakh EVMs to arrange the election, likely to be held in late December 2018 or early January 2019, fully based on the machines instead of ballot papers.
Besides, they said, it will not get enough time for introducing the machines before the election schedule, which may be announced in November 2018.
EC officials said it will be almost impossible to hold the 11th national election using EVMs as the EC will have just one year in hand to collect, assess and demonstrate 3 lakh EVMs after taking the final decision following the outcomes of EC’s dialogues with political parties and other stakeholders.
The dialogue is scheduled to begin in July and end in November next. Besides, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda has repeatedly said they will not use EVMs in the election unless political parties reach a consensus on it.
But the possibility of a political consensus on the issue is very thin as BNP has formally written to the CEC opposing any move to introduce the EVMs in the national election.
EC officials said the Commission has brought the issue to limelight so that it can use the EVMs at least in local body elections to avoid vote rigging and other irregularities.
“Some 3 lakh EVMs or Digital Voting Machines (DVMs) will be required to arrange the balloting in 40,000 possible polling stations across the country in the national election,” said EC Additional Secretary Md Mokhlesur Rahman.
Noting that the EC wants to go for EVMs to avoid illegal ballot stuffing and other irregularities, he said if the EVM use in the national election does not get support of the political parties, these might be used in local body elections.
To use EVMs in the national election, the EC will first have to amend the Representation of the People Order (RPO) 1972 as there is no provision of using such machines in the election.
In January last, Awami League at its dialogue with President Abdul Hamid over the EC reconstitution proposed introducing e-voting in the next general election.
On May 13 last, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader again said their political stance is in favour of using EVMs in the next national election, claiming that it is a modern system where there is no possibility of errors.
He noted that Prime Minister’s ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy proposed the EVM system for the next election and his party extended support to his proposal.
Meanwhile, BNP leaders have been opposing the EVMs claiming that the move to introduce the machines is motivated and the machines can be tempered.
The Election Commission (EC) is highly unlikely to go for digital voting in the next national election as the two major political parties-Awami League and BNP-are now at loggerheads over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
EC officials said the Commission will require some 3 lakh EVMs to arrange the election, likely to be held in late December 2018 or early January 2019, fully based on the machines instead of ballot papers.
Besides, they said, it will not get enough time for introducing the machines before the election schedule, which may be announced in November 2018.
EC officials said it will be almost impossible to hold the 11th national election using EVMs as the EC will have just one year in hand to collect, assess and demonstrate 3 lakh EVMs after taking the final decision following the outcomes of EC’s dialogues with political parties and other stakeholders.
The dialogue is scheduled to begin in July and end in November next. Besides, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda has repeatedly said they will not use EVMs in the election unless political parties reach a consensus on it.
But the possibility of a political consensus on the issue is very thin as BNP has formally written to the CEC opposing any move to introduce the EVMs in the national election.
EC officials said the Commission has brought the issue to limelight so that it can use the EVMs at least in local body elections to avoid vote rigging and other irregularities.
“Some 3 lakh EVMs or Digital Voting Machines (DVMs) will be required to arrange the balloting in 40,000 possible polling stations across the country in the national election,” said EC Additional Secretary Md Mokhlesur Rahman.
Noting that the EC wants to go for EVMs to avoid illegal ballot stuffing and other irregularities, he said if the EVM use in the national election does not get support of the political parties, these might be used in local body elections.
To use EVMs in the national election, the EC will first have to amend the Representation of the People Order (RPO) 1972 as there is no provision of using such machines in the election.
In January last, Awami League at its dialogue with President Abdul Hamid over the EC reconstitution proposed introducing e-voting in the next general election.
On May 13 last, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader again said their political stance is in favour of using EVMs in the next national election, claiming that it is a modern system where there is no possibility of errors.
He noted that Prime Minister’s ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy proposed the EVM system for the next election and his party extended support to his proposal.
Meanwhile, BNP leaders have been opposing the EVMs claiming that the move to introduce the machines is motivated and the machines can be tempered.
