EC plans for using EVMs in all polls to curb irregularities: CEC

The Election Commission (EC) is planning to introduce the Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) to resist the evil attempt of filling-up ballot boxes night before elections, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said today.

“We will start using of the EVMs and then there will be no scope of filling-up ballot boxes night before the polls,” Huda said this at a training workshop of the election officials in Dhaka this noon ahead of the fifth of Upazila Parishad elections to be held from Sunday.

Expressing frustration over the ongoing spate of election irregularities, Huda said the EC has introduced voters list with photographs to hold elections in a free, fair and credible manner but the effort has gone on vain.    

Stressing the need for using the EVMs in the election, the CEC said the trend of irregularities in the election is gradually moving towards deterioration which has already gone out of our control.

“We will have to take a tough stance through proper enforcement of relevant laws in resisting the election irregularities,” Huda said calling upon all election officials to discharges their duties upholding professionalism.

Referring several irregularities in the previous elections, Huda said, “The election irregularities can’t be stopped despite enforcement of relevant laws and adoption of the electoral core of conduct. We will have to get rid of the situation.”

Referring to the plea of deployment of army of political parties in the elections, the CEC said which country in the world deploys army in conducting election?

“Political parties will take part in election while people will cast their votes as owner of the country and we will discharge our duties in smooth way to hold a trouble-free election and it should be,” he said.

Claiming that a group of vested quarter is engaged in hatching efforts for committing fraudulence in the society, Huda said, “We will have to resist the attempt through incorporation laws and regulations.”

About the role of the election officials, the CEC said conducting an election in a nonpartisan manner will be the main role of the election officials and their political believes and identities will not be considerable in any circumstances.

“Election will be transparent and there will be no secret matter in the process except a secret room for casting votes. Apart from this, all information relating to the election will be kept open to all,” he added.

He said the election will be not acceptable to the people who will defeat in the race. It is on the other hand, will be acceptable to those who will win the vote battle, he added.

“Amid the situation, you (election officials) will have to be careful so that there is no any negligence in your duties,” the CEC said.

The fifth upazila parishad elections at 492 upazilas will be held in five phases from March this year.

The first phase of the election is scheduled to be held on March 10, second phase on March 18, third on March 24, fourth on March 31 and the last fifth phase election will be held on June 18, according to the schedule.

In 2014, elections in 487 upazilas were held in six phases between February and May.

Source: thedailystar