Use of EVM violation of constitution: JOF

Jatiya Oikya Front on Saturday alleged that the use of Electronic Voting Machines in elections was unconstitutional and asked the Election Commission to throw those into the Bay of Bengal so that those could never be used.

The front leader and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD president ASM Abdur Rob said this while addressing a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity in the capital and also warned that the result of using EVMs would not be good and that they would have nothing to say if city dwellers throw away the machines from the polling centres on the election day.

The front organised the press conference on ‘Use of EVMs in the upcoming city corporation election and overall situation of the elections’ to inform media about their position on EVMs which would be used in all polling centres in the upcoming Dhaka city elections scheduled to be held on January 30.

The front has extended its support to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidates in the city elections.

‘The constitution has clearly mentioned use of paper ballots in the elections. The constitution is still in force. It says that the secrecy of ballots will be protected. But, if EVM is used, there will be no secrecy of ballots and the voters would not have any proof. It is violation of the constitution,’ he said.

‘We clearly say that EVMs were rejected across the world. Throw it to the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh’s people do not want it. We will not allow to use this machine,’ he said.

Rob reminded the Election Commission’s earlier position that they would not use EVMs if the stakeholders did not want it. He said that all the political parties, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Oikya Front, were opposing use of EVMs.

He termed the EVM as a technology to steal votes as its control would remain the hands of the government and their subservient Election Commission officials. ‘The Election Commission has been trying to use EVMs forcibly without keeping the option of paper trail in the system. We do not support EVMs without paper trail.’

He said that the government snatched votes on the night following December 29, 2018 and now is using the Election Commission to use EVMs in a bid to steal votes in broad daylight.

BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan termed EVMs as ‘electronic vote manipulation’ machine.

Asked whether the front would boycott the election if EVMs were used in the city polls, Rob said that they were yet to take decision about it.

Gono Forum executive presidents Abu Sayeed and Subrata Chowdhury, Nagarik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Nurul Amin Byapari of Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, and Gonosasthya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury, among others, were present at the press conference.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net