Next national polls

EVMs pass law ministry hurdle

The law ministry has sent to the Cabinet Division the Election Commission’s (EC's) proposal for an amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) to facilitate the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next national election, according to sources.

 On September 3, EC joint secretary (law) Md Shelim Miah handed over the commission’s proposal to the law ministry for vetting so that hurdles to EVM use in the upcoming parliamentary polls could be removed.

Sources say the law ministry has vetted the proposal and sent it to the Cabinet Division for further action.

The Cabinet Division is likely to place the amended RPO in the next Cabinet meeting, they add. If the Cabinet Division approves the RPO amendment proposal, the matter would be taken up in parliament soon.

If passed by parliament, EVMs could be deployed in the upcoming general election, said a law ministry official.

According to sources in the EC, the RPO has to be amended to make EVM use possible in the next national election, likely to be held in December. The EC has been using EVMs in local government elections since 2010.

Now, the EC plans to use EVMs in the general election amid opposition by various political parties.

A top EC official, preferring anonymity, told this correspondent that the commission had no plan for a wide use of EVMs in the parliamentary poll. But the EC would like to introduce EVMs on a limited scale as rural people are not yet familiar with the technology, he added.

In response to a query, the official said that it would take time to introduce EVMs to all polling centres.

 On August 30, the EC finalised a proposal for an amendment to the relevant law to pave the way for the use of EVMs in the national election.  However, election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar gave a note of dissent against the EC’s plan.

The sudden move to use EVMs in the national election, less than two months before the announcement of the poll schedule, has been questioned by political parties.

Opposition parties have expressed fear that the procurement of a large number of EVMs would be just a way to serve certain vested quarters.

Some of the election commissioners also pointed out that this was not the right time to plan the use of EVMs in the national election as it would create a controversy.

The EC has already started a five-year project, worth Tk. 38-billion, towards the procurement of 150,000 EVMs, with the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) being tasked to supply the machines.

The EC was scheduled to hold a meeting of the project evaluation committee in this regard on August 19. The EC finally gave its approval on August 30.

 

Next national polls

EVMs pass law ministry hurdle

The law ministry has sent to the Cabinet Division the Election Commissions (ECs) proposal for an amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) to facilitate the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next national election, according to sources. On September 3, EC joint secretary (law) Md Shelim Miah handed over the commissions proposal to the law ministry for vetting so that hurdles to EVM use in the upcoming parliamentary polls could be removed. Sources say the law ministry has vetted the proposal and sent it to the Cabinet Division for further action. The Cabinet Division is likely to place the amended RPO in the next Cabinet meeting, they add. If the Cabinet Division approves the RPO amendment proposal, the matter would be taken up in parliament soon. If passed by parliament, EVMs could be deployed in the upcoming general election, said a law ministry official. According to sources in the EC, the RPO has to be amended to make EVM use possible in the next national election, likely to be held in December. The EC has been using EVMs in local government elections since 2010. Now, the EC plans to use EVMs in the general election amid opposition by various political parties. A top EC official, preferring anonymity, told this correspondent that the commission had no plan for a wide use of EVMs in the parliamentary poll. But the EC would like to introduce EVMs on a limited scale as rural people are not yet familiar with the technology, he added. In response to a query, the official said that it would take time to introduce EVMs to all polling centres. On August 30, the EC finalised a proposal for an amendment to the relevant law to pave the way for the use of EVMs in the national election. However, election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar gave a note of dissent against the ECs plan. The sudden move to use EVMs in the national election, less than two months before the announcement of the poll schedule, has been questioned by political parties. Opposition parties have expressed fear that the procurement of a large number of EVMs would be just a way to serve certain vested quarters. Some of the election commissioners also pointed out that this was not the right time to plan the use of EVMs in the national election as it would create a controversy. The EC has already started a five-year project, worth Tk. 38-billion, towards the procurement of 150,000 EVMs, with the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) being tasked to supply the machines. The EC was scheduled to hold a meeting of the project evaluation committee in this regard on August 19. The EC finally gave its approval on August 30.