ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will use electronic voting machines (EVMs) at the next general election in 2023, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Babar Awan has said.
Khan’s government has been pushing for the use of EVMs in future elections since it unveiled a prototype at the Parliament House in May. The idea of introducing electronic voting machines (EVMs) — which directly record votes and are believed to prevent the irregularities that may occur during manual counting — also caught the spotlight in March after a government candidate lost a key senate seat to a joint opposition candidate, unleashing accusations of rigging and horse trading from the ruling party. A subsequent election for the post of senate chairman in April also became controversial after eight ballot papers had to be wasted by the presiding officer for breaking rules.
Opposition parties have been largely mistrustful of the government’s plans to introduce EVMs and experts have warned of large transitional costs and other technical and logistical issues.
“Legislation regarding Internet-voting, EVM, and right to vote for overseas Pakistanis will be completed this year,” Awan told a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday. “We are ready to arrange a demonstration of EVM anywhere to satisfy the opposition.”
This undated photo shows electronic voting machines. (Photo courtesy: @MinistryofST/Twitter)
The legislation process necessary to introduce EVMs would be completed after approval from the Senate or a joint session of parliament, English-language newspaper The News reported, quoting the PM’s adviser who said the government would cooperate with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the 2023 election using the new machines.
Awan urged the opposition to demonstrate “political foresight” and support the government in ensuring transparent elections, the report said.
“The government, ministers and parliamentary functionaries have invited the opposition several times, but received no encouraging response,” he said.
The EVMs had not been devised by the government, Awan said, and the public would be given demos of the prototype through roadshows being planned by the ministry of science and technology.
ECP former secretary Kanwar Dilshad told Arab News in April it was unlikely EMVs could be introduced by the next general election due to financial, logistical and technical constraints.
“At least an amount of Rs1 trillion is required to replace manual voting with digital voting procedures: Electronic Voting Machines, Biometric Verification Machines or Internet voting for Overseas Pakistani in general elections,” Dilshad said, saying Rs60 billion would be required for the procurement of 350,000 EVMs alone.
“In my opinion this is a futile exercise. The Election Commission of Pakistan pilot projects regarding EVMs have failed in the past,” he said.
