BNP Not Coming for EVM Trial Votes: EC Secy

Despite diplomats expressing satisfaction over it, the BNP is not coming for dummy voting by Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Election Commission Secretary Md Alamgir said.

"Ambassadors from the US, UK, and other countries saw the EVMs and expressed pleasure," he said while speaking to the media today.

He added that the BNP has not seen and refuses to do the voting process through the machines.

Saying that there is no scope for manipulation by EVMs, he added "If one doesn't have a finger, he can vote with the help of the voting officer. Only one percent of the voters can be verified that way, however. If it's more than that, they will have to seek approval from the returning officer."

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 accusations of the appointment of partisan election observers, he said, "We are yet to receive instructions from the Commission to issue 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 centers under CCTV surveillance have been told to keep the cameras operable so that if an untoward incident occurs, the perpetrators can be identified.