The BNP is not coming for dummy voting through Electric Voting Machines (EVMs) despite diplomats expressing satisfaction over it, said Election Commission Secretary Md Alamgir.
“Envoys of United States, Britain and other countries have seen the EVMs and expressed satisfaction,” he said while speaking to the media on Tuesday (Jan 28).
He added that the BNP has not seen the voting process through the machines and refuse to do so.
Saying that there is no scope for rigging through EVMs, he added, “If someone doesn’t have a finger, they can vote with the help of the voting officer. However, they can verify only one percent of the voters this way. If it’s more than that, they’ll have to take the returning officer’s permission.”
Alamgir said that they can digitally store the voting information and if anyone wants to file a case and takes it to court, it can be viewed.
Responding to queries on whether the electoral code of conducts are being amended due to the Commission not being able to control the violations, he said, that the existing code of conducts were formulated during the care-taker government which are not relevant to the current time.
On BNP’s allegations that partisan election observers were being appointed, he said, “We are yet to receive instruction from the Commission regarding issuing cards to observers.”
He said that the selections were being done as per the rule and those registered with the EC will be given cards.
The EC secretary said that those polling centres under CCTV surveillance have been told to keep the cameras operable so that if untoward incident occurs, the perpetrators can be identified.