The Jatiya Party (JPA), the main opposition party in the Jatiya Sangsad, does not want the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in parliamentary elections.
The party expressed their stand in their statement on Sunday taking part in a meeting of the Election Commission (EC) on EVM verification.
After the meeting, Japa secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu told reporters that a meeting of their presidium members on Sunday morning had decided that they will support the existing system of electoral process and they see no need to use EVM.
Chunnu said, “We have also presented this opinion to the EC in the meeting.”
Asked whether he would boycott the polls if EVMs were used despite their views, he said “We will take the decision then.”
The Election Commission has called 39 political parties for continuous discussions to verify the EVM. On Sunday, the EC invited 13 parties.
The remaining 26 parties will join in two phases on June 21 and June 28 for EVM verification.
In the first phase, the 13 political parties that were invited to the dialogue with the EC today are Jatiya Party (Ershad), the main opposition in the National Parliament, Jatiya Party-JP, Krishak Sramik Janata League, Bangladesh National Awami Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Jaker Party, Bangladesh Muslim League, Gano Forum, Gano Front, Bangladeshh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasad, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal-Basad, Bangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh NAP, Biplabi Workers Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Sanskritik Muktijote.
In the second phase set for June 21, the invited political parties 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, the 13 parties 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.
Opinions about EVMs have already been taken in meetings with the best technologists in the country. They said after seeing the EVM, this machine is reliable.
The Election Commission wants to use EVM on a large scale in the upcoming 12th National Assembly elections. However, the company has decided to take everyone’s opinion before that.
The EC currently has 1 lakh 54 thousand EVMs, with which voting can be done in maximum 100 seats while three hundred more machines are needed to use this voting machine in 300 seats.
Source: United News of Bangladesh