Despite opposition parties objecting to the use of electronic voting machines, the Election Commission is making preparations for EVM-based national elections.
The chief election commissioner, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, who took the office last month, briefed the press on Monday about the EC’s preparations for the next general elections.
‘It has not been decided yet whether EVMs will be used in the next parliamentary elections. However, preparations are in progress to avoid any problem at the last moment,’ he added.
The last EC lead by CEC ATM Shamsul Huda introduced EVMs. Voting machines were used in at least three municipal elections — partly in Chittagong and Narayanganj local elections, while Comilla City Corporation polls was a completely EVM-based one.
The ruling Awami League has been favouring the use of EVMs in polls, while the main opposition BNP has expressed its reservations over the initiative, saying the use of EVM may create room for vote rigging.
The CEC on Monday called upon the mass media for creating public awareness of the use of electronic voting machine in the national elections.
An expert team from the Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology has already made a presentation on the EVM technology before the newly-formed EC, sources in the commission said.
The CEC assured that election schedules for elections to both Dhaka City Corporation units would be announced shortly.
‘We will be able to complete the elections in accordance with the law. The schedules would be announced at a later date... The date for the elections has not been fixed yet,’ said Rakibuddin.
Law makes it mandatory to hold elections to both DCCs within May 29.
The CEC has informed that the work to update voters’ list would begin from March 10. He also said that the voters’ list should be updated every year. ‘The EC has a legal binding to update the voters’ list every year.’
The immediate-past EC had decided to update the voters’ list up to 2014, based on the information available with them, for holding the 10th parliamentary elections. But the current commission does not want to update the list until 2014 for some limitations.
Those who turn 18 and above by January 2013 would be included in the voters’ list to be updated.
The 15th constitutional amendment has made it a must to hold the 10th national elections between October 2013 and January 2014.