Election Commissioner Md. Alamgir said that Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will be used in the upcoming parliamentary elections. However, in how many seats EVM will be used, has not yet been decided. The EC will take a decision on this matter within this month after considering its capacity and rationale. There will be extensive campaigning in the constituencies where EVM voting will take place.
On Sunday (August 21), in response to questions from journalists in his office in the Nirbachon Vaban (Election Building), Md. Alamgir expressed the capability of EC. There is a debate in the political arena about the use of EVMs in voting. BNP, the main political rival of the ruling party, has been accusing EVMs as rigging machines. On the other hand, Awami League wants the use of EVM in all 300 seats.
In this regard, Md. Alamgir said that EC has the capacity to vote in EVMs only in 70 to 80 seats at the moment. He said many political parties want EVMs in 300 seats. Some parties don’t even want EVMs even in a single seat. EC cannot give equal importance to everyone. EC will focus on its capacity and rationality of EVMs. Decisions will not be made by looking at someone’s face. Decisions will be taken considering the capacity and convenience of EVMs for a fair polling.
Meanwhile, in the EC’s dialogue with political parties, 22 parties expressed their views on EVMs. Among them, 14 parties, including the main opposition party in the parliament, Jatiya Party, have expressed doubts about the use of this device. Among these, several parties have directly opposed EVMs. On the other hand, four parties including Awami League have sought votes in EVMs. A few other parties have conditionally favored EVMs. And 9 parties including BNP boycotted EC dialogue. They are also against EVMs.
Regarding the doubts and complaints about EVMs, Election Commissioner Md. Alamgir said, ‘I will not believe it until you prove that the EVMs can be rigged. Fraud is alleged, but not proven. We are verifying those who have complained. But those who did not come to us and complained, we did not take it into account.’
The commissioner also said that 80 percent votes were cast in the Union Parishad elections. EVMs were used in 6 constituencies in the last parliamentary elections. There was no challenge to that. Many by-elections and local government elections were conducted on EVMs. No one said he lost because of EVMs or even challenged the case in court.
Claiming that there is no scope for manipulation through EVMs, EC Md. Alamgir said, “Through EVM, votes can be manipulated. But the EVM that we have, cannot be manipulated; if somebody claims, he has to proof. That challenge has been given several times. But with that challenge till date no one has been able to prove that ‘your EVM can be manipulated.’”
Pointing out the various advantages and disadvantages of EVM, he said, ‘EVM can be rigged, you have to prove. I gave open challenge several times. I said in writing. Our challenge is still open. You just say from outside that it is this, it is that; based on these, a country or an institution cannot run. An organization runs on its evidence, on its skills and merits.’
Md. Alamgir said that the Election Commission can withheld the election if there is any serious irregularity in the election. But the power to cancel that election is not in the existing RPO. The EC believes that this power should exist. There is a judgment of the High Court regarding this. But he didn’t see it. It is the responsibility of the EC to enact the court ruling. There is no problem adding it to the law.