The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Sunday said that the commission has no intention of imposing its own views about the use of electronic voting machine (EVM).
"We have informed every party and individuals that the EC has not yet made a final decision on the use of EVMs in the next general elections," the CEC made the remarks at a meeting regarding EVMs with 13 registered political parties, including the Jatiya Party at the EC headquarters in capital's Agargaon.
"We have used the EVM. Our purpose is to give you an idea about EVMs. But your views, it will be your independent opinion. We cannot impose any opinion on anyone, we will not do so, we have no such desire," he addressed the parties.
Representatives of Jatiya Party, Krishak Sramik Janata League, Bangladesh National Awami Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Jaker Party, Bangladesh Muslim League, Gono Forum, Gono Front, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) and Bangladesh Congress attended the meeting on Sunday (19 June) to share their views.
Election Commissioners Begum Rashida Sultana, Brigadier General (Retd) Ahsan Habib Khan, Retired Senior Secretary Mohammad Alamgir and Anisur Rahman were present at the meeting.
It should be mentioned that in view of verifying the acceptability of the use of much talked about EVMs in the next general elections, the EC has decided to sit in dialogue with all the 39 political parties registered with the constitutional body (EC).
It is informed that the EC wants to use EVMs for vote casting in around 100 constituencies in the upcoming general elections. The EC has a total of 1,54,000 EVMs in its hands. But, some of the political parties and other quarters raised questions on the acceptability of the EVMs in the vote casting.
Ashok Kumer Debnath, Additional Secretary to the EC, said, all the 39 registered political parties have been invited to the EC office in phases on June 19, 21 and 28 for EVM verification.
“A maximum of four persons, including technical person, from each of the political parties have been requested to come to the EC. They will be able to open the EVM or check the machine in any way,” he said.
The President appointed the Awal Commission on 26 February and the new commission took office on February 28. After taking charge of the electoral system of the country, the EC decided to hold dialogues with various quarters ahead of the 12th National Parliament elections.
As part of the process, the EC held dialogues with prominent academics, intellectuals of the country, journalists, civil society and media on March 13 and 22 and April 6 and 18 respectively.
Later, the EC also held dialogues with the election observes and experts.
According to the EC officials 39 political parties registered with the EC would be invited in three phases and 13 political parties will be invited on each day.
In the second phase, those political parties to be invited are; Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal JSD, Bangladesh Khilafat Movement, National People's Party-NPP, Jamiyat-e-Ulamaye Islam, Bangladesh, Islamic Front Bangladesh, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Islamic Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islamic Front, Khilafat Majlis and Bangladesh Muslim League-BML.
In the last phase, those 13 parties to be invited on June 28 are; ruling Bangladesh Awami League, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Communist Party of Bangladesh-ML, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Liberal Democratic Party-LDP, Ganatantri Party, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasad, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal-Basad, Bangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh NAP, Biplabi Workers Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Sanskritik Muktijote.
