In a dialogue with the Election Commission on Tuesday, the ruling Awami League made clear its stance in favour of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).Party leaders said they had no objection to the machines being used in all 300 constituencies.
For its part, the EC said it was still considering the pros and cons of EVMs and would take a decision on the matter later.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal addressed reporters after the dialogue at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon.
A total of 14 parties were invited to express their views to the EC regarding EVMs on the last day of the dialogue series. However, the Communist Party of Bangladesh, LDP, Revolutionary Workers Party, and Socialist Party of Bangladesh did not attend the talks.
The Awami League, Tarikat Federation, Samyabadi Dal-ML, Ganatantri Party, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bikalpa Dhara, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasad, Bangladesh NAP, Cultural Liberation Alliance and Gana Forum took part in the talks.
Earlier, the EC had invited 26 political parties in two phases to participate in dialogues on June 19 and June 21. Altogether 18 parties answered the EC’s call and joined the talks, while eight parties, including the BNP, did not respond.
After the meeting with EC on the concluding day, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said: “Almost 80% of the political parties which attended today's dialogue with the Election Commission gave their consent to the use of EVMs in the national election. I do not know what the other parties said earlier, as I was not present in those talks.”
“The Awami League wants EVMs in all 300 constituencies, but the EC will take the decision according to its capacity.”
“There is no option of saying that EVMs are not popular in Bangladesh. We have no objection if the EC has votes cast for all 300 seats with EVMs at the next parliamentary election; we will support the decision of the EC,” said Quader, who is also Road Transport and Bridges Minister.
Responding to a question, he said: “I believe the BNP will participate in the election at the last moment. We want a participatory election where the BNP will contest us. We do not want such a big party like the BNP to stay outside the electoral race.”
“The general election will be conducted by the election time government and that government will assist the EC to hold a free and fair election. We will give all types of support to the EC,” added Quader.
After the talks with political parties, CEC Kazi Habibul Awal said: “We have pointed out the demands of the political parties on EVMs. Some of them are in favour of EVMs, some of them have expressed a negative view. We will take the decision on EVMs after analysing all the recommendations made by the political parties.”
THe CEC also said: “After this Eid-ul-Azha, we will sit with all political parties to learn their views on the next national election. We want a 100% transparent election.”
“The government and the Awami League are not the same. At the time of the national election, the government and not the Awami League will assist us,” added CEC Awal.
Fazle Hossain Badsha, general secretary of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, said at the dialogue: “An option should be there so that political parties can judge the technology that is used in EVMs.”
Responding to this proposal, the CEC said: “We have EVM experts here in the EC headquarters; any political party can ask anything about EVM technology anytime here.”
Badsha, an ally of the Awami League-led 14 party alliance, also suggested initiating EVMs in every local government election to have people get used to using EVMs before the national polls.
Awami league leaders Kazi Zafarullah, Faruk Khan, Shahabuddin Chuppu, Selim Mahmud and Biplab Barua, among others, were present at the dialogue with the EC.