The Election Commission will be fully prepared to use Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the next general elections slated for late 2013. “Let’s see how much we can do,” chief election commissioner (CEC) A T M Shamsul Huda said on Wednesday. The current panel of commissioners runs its term on Feb 2012. The information minister on Tuesday informed parliament about the EC decision too.
Political parties in the recent dialogues with the EC suggested the EVM be introduced in phases. Opposition BNP, who did not join the formal talks, has been protesting the move fearing rigged elections.
The EVM was trialled in a ward during the Chittagong City Corporation elections. Huda, however, could not be specific whether EVM would be used partially. “It’s not possible to say something on it now. The next [Election] Commission will decide it.”
At the discussion in a city hotel, he said they had taken up a project to introduce EVM first in local polls, including in Narayanganj and Comilla city corporations—due in October and November, respectively.
The Election Working Group organised the programme as they published a report on the recently concluded Union Parishad elections.
Full Article: EC set to try EVM in 2013 polls | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com.