ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shared on its official Twitter account a now deleted vlog of a journalist criticising e-voting machines (EVMs).
In the vlog, the journalist expressed concerns over the use of “expensive” EVMs in the general elections, claiming that they were a fraud. The tweet stayed for two hours and was later deleted following an uproar.
Later, Minister of State for Information Farrukh Habib, in a tweet, demanded an explanation from the chief election commissioner, saying that the matter has to go to parliament. “How can you describe EVMs as a fraud? ECP should keep in check what kind of material is being shared on its official Twitter handle and who is doing it,” he added.
Meanwhile, ECP Director Altaf Ahmed Khan maintained that the incident occurred because of an “error”. He added that the commission’s stance on e-voting machines issued on May 20 should be considered its official viewpoint on the matter.
Ordinance issued for procurement of e-voting machines
Earlier this month, the government promulgated a presidential ordinance authorising and binding the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to procure electronic voting machines (EVMs) and to enable the overseas Pakistanis to exercise their right to vote while staying in their country of residence in the next general elections.
President Arif Alvi promulgated the Elections (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2021 under Article 89 of the Constitution only two days after National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had constituted a committee of the cabinet members to engage the opposition on the issue of electoral reforms.
Opposition’s stance
Most major opposition parties dismissed the proposed electoral reform. The opposition argued that anything that is controlled and operated by others and can be handily used to manipulate electoral results is unacceptable and rejected. They add that they would strongly oppose the introduction of EVMs in parliament.
“The countries where EVMs have been tried and tested have either already reverted to paper ballots or are going back to the old system for different reasons,” former Speaker and prominent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said.
