Govt unveils preliminary model of electronic voting machine

Govt unveils preliminary model of electronic voting machine

Islamabad (Web Desk): The government displayed preliminary model of an electronic voting machine (EVM) at the Parliament House Islamabad on Wednesday.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan presented the prototype of the EVM.

Briefing the media, Fawad Chaudhry said the 36 conditions of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) have been fulfilled in this model of the EVM, the Radio Pakistan reported.

“The EVM will produce quick election results, and the contesting candidates will have no reason to level allegations of rigging,” he said.

The information minister invited the opposition parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), to observe working of the machine placed at the Parliament House, and suggest any improvements.

“EVMs are being used in twenty countries of the world,” Fawad said, adding that the EVM model will also be presented before members of bar associations to seek their input.

Speaking on the occasion, Babar Awan said that the EVMs will provide a remedy to the cancer of rigging allegations in elections in the country.

“There are five proposed EVM models; three have been imported and two others are being manufactured in Pakistan,” he said, adding that the ECP will finalise the model of the machine.

“Under the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the ECP has been empowered to use EVMs in elections and give right of vote to the overseas Pakistanis,” Awan said.

The use of machine was also demonstrated before the representatives of the Parliamentary Reporters Association on the occasion.