Chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has said the political crisis would not deteriorate over the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the next election and the voting can be held in traditional ballot papers if a political consensus can be reached to this end.
The CEC made this comment replying to newsmen regarding a question over the statement of 39 eminent citizens.
The eminent citizens on Tuesday urged the authorities not to use EVMs in the next general election. They termed the EC’s decision to use EVMs in a maximum of 150 constituencies out of 300 as irrational.
“The EC has decided to use EVM machines in a maximum of 150 constituencies in the next general election without reaching any political consensus,” the eminent citizens said in their statement.
The CEC said, “I don’t know (if) there might be a political crisis. If anything such happens, steps should be taken to face that. We don’t see any crisis over EVM. The crisis over EVMs would not intensify.”
The EC at a meeting on 23 August decided that EVMs will be used in no more than 150 constituencies in the next general election.
The decision came amidst the ongoing political debate regarding the use of the machine. Most of the political parties expressed their apprehensions about the use of EVMs in the next general election in their dialogues with the EC. The CEC himself said most political parties don’t trust EVMs.
The EVMs were used in six seats in the last parliamentary election.
The CEC further added that the crisis in the political arena is not over the EVMs, but rather in some broader aspects.
“We hope and pray that these crises would end. If these crises end and political parties can reach a consensus to hold the election fully in ballots, there is no problem,” the CEC said.
Kazi Habibul Awal further added that whether the election is free, fair and peaceful is the main point not whether the EVMs are used.