'EC praising merits of EVMs with ulterior motive'

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday alleged that the Election Commission (EC) has been repeatedly highlighting the merits of EVMs with an ‘ulterior motive’ when most political parties are against its use in the national election, reports UNB.

“During the talks with the Election Commission, around 80 percent of the political parties expressed their opinions against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). But the EC is repeatedly holding meetings and describing the merits of the EVMs tactfully,” he said.

GM, Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said the EC should understand that the country’s people will not accept any rigged elections.

He made the remarks while speaking at a meeting with the party presidium members and MPs at the Jatiya Party Chairman’s Banani office auditorium.

The Jatiya Party chief said when different countries of the world are abandoning the EVMs then the EC in Bangladesh starts praising the machines. “This is causing confusion in public mind. “

He said many voters in the country cast their votes seeing the election symbol during the election as they cannot read the name of the candidates.

In such a reality, GM Quader said the common people think there’s an evil intention behind the EC’s efforts to hold elections using the EVMs.

He also said some political leaders feel talking about fair elections means hurling abuses at them. “In fact, we need to change our political culture.”

The Jatiya Party chief said the people of the country no longer want any flawed and name-only elections. “They want to elect the representatives of their choice through fair elections.”

He alleged that Awami League and BNP have initiated the politics of vengeance instead of doing politics in the interests of people of the country since Jatiya Party founder HM Ershad handed over power in 1990.

GM Quader also said the two parties made the election a matter of violence though once it was like a festival to people. “So now the election is like a war. The party which will be defeated in the national election can be wiped out. It’ll be difficult to protect the existence of the defeated party. It can’t be a political culture.”