Oct 18(ABC): The Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja said that Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) cannot be implemented in a hurry or on someone’s wish. It it is rushed, he warned that any elections held by this new system have the potential to become controversial.
He said this while hearing a case on the local body elections in Punjab at the Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday.
During the hearing, Raja said that up till now, only two countries around the world, Brazil and India, were using EVMs.
He related that a representative from Brazil had said that using EVMs in Pakistan for elections in 2023 would be surprising. He added that if EVMs are implemented on a short notice the elections and their results could become contentious.
The CEC further accused the Punjab government of wanting to spread anarchy. He said that there are a large number of polling stations at the time of local bodies elections; if elections become controversial then who will take responsibility for it?
Raja further asked if local body elections in Punjab can be conducted as per the old law of Punjab?
Since, 10 months there is no local body government in Punjab and no government wants to conduct elections, he added.
Expressing his reservations against the Punjab government, the Chief Election Commissioner remarked that he will not hold any more meetings with the Punjab government.
Instead, he hinted at sending a reference to the Supreme Court over the reluctance of the Punjab government to hold elections.
Raja directed the Punjab government to enact a new local government law within a week, otherwise local government elections will be held in Punjab on the basis of the old law.
“If the Punjab government does not cooperate on the local body elections, they will have to face contempt proceedings,” he warned.
Further hearing of the case was adjourned until October 27.
Amendments in the Elections Act 2017
Earlier on Thursday, the National Assembly passed the bill to amend the Elections Act 2017, reversing the laws enacted by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for polling and granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis.
PTI leader Babar Awan said his party would challenge the amendments as they violate the Supreme Court’s orders.
He claimed that EVMs help provide a tamper-proof setup to curb pre-poll, polling and post-poll rigging.