Opposition BNP has attacked the electronic voting machine (EVM) as ‘a key tool to rig vote’ and said the government plans to introduce e-voting to doctor up election results. Acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inveighed against the EVM and e-voting at a workshop titled ‘Electronic Voting System’ organised by Centre for National Studies (CNS) at BRAC Centre Inn Auditorium at Mohakhali in the city on Tuesday.
“As part of its design, the government has abolished the caretaker government system through the 15th Amendment to the constitution. Their objective is to change public verdict by holding the next parliament election under the elected government.”
Fakhrul said the initiative to introduce EVM was a part of that government plot.
The Election Commission trialled the e-voting system at a ward during the Chittagong City Corporation elections on June 17, 2009 even though the BNP has been opposing the move.
Retired Navy captain Salehuddin Ahmed Shelu in the keynote speech highlighted the scopes of deception and irregularities in e-voting and results. He said there was no strong security system in the country to introduce EVM while the voters lack technological knowledge and education.
Shelu said there was not enough skilled manpower to operate the machines smoothly. The confidentiality of the voters is not protected in the system.
Some 200,000 machines were needed for national elections and for this purpose the government would have to spend Tk 8 billion which is ‘very costly’, according to him.
He said the Supreme Courts of California and Florida states of the US, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Finland have already done away with the electronic voting system.
Full Article: BNP attacks EVM, e-vote | Politics | bdnews24.com.