EC not ready for EVM use: CEC

The Election Commission is not ready to use Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in the next general elections, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said today.

The CEC told this to journalists at a press conference at the EC Secretariat in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar of Dhaka.

On November 12, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at a rally in the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan said that she preferred army deployment over the EVM.

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“Why does the CEC talk about EVMs? It means that they listen to the government. EVMs will not do. Army should be deployed for the polls.”

On the same day, while commenting on Khaleda's demand, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the voting machine is a modern system, but as Khaleda wants a “mechanised” election like of 2001, she talks against the EVM.

The ruling AL has been voicing in favour of the use of EVMs in the next national elections.

On October 18, AL placed an 11-point proposal, including introduction of the use of EVMs for holding the next general election in a credible manner.