Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Babar Awan announced that the government has decided to conduct the next elections through EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines), and legislation to use EVMs in the next elections, i-voting and voting right to overseas Pakistanis will be done this year. He added that the EVMs will ensure transparency in the polling procedure.
Drafting of legislation to use EVMs in the next elections
Speaking to the press conference along with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication, Dr. Shahbaz Gill he said that; “The legislation process would be completed after approval from the Senate or even through a joint session of the Parliament. EVM’s will ensure that the upcoming general elections in 2023 would be transparent and fair.”
Babar Awan urged the opposition to stand with the government in this regard; “The government, ministers and parliamentary functionaries have invited the opposition several times, but received no encouraging response.” The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) had also requested Rs2.2 billion to help the process of free and fair elections and the government has ensured to utilize all available resources to make it possible.
Read more: ECP to consult political parties on the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs)
EVM’s will process election results in 15 seconds
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz has said that the newly developed Electronic Voting Machines, will process the election results in just 15 seconds. The minister emphasized that the federal government has worked on election reforms that will make the polling process fair and transparent, to aid democracy.
According to the science ministry, the EVM is a user-friendly machine and it would help stop rigging in future elections. The total cost of one machine is approximately Rs. 70,000 and almost 400,000 EVMs would be required in the 2023 general elections that would cost the federal government around Rs. 28 billion.
Source: Express Tribune
