Cabinet nods RPO amendment proposal keeping EVM

Senior Correspondent: The Cabinet on Monday approved the proposal for amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) incorporating an access to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the upcoming national election.

The approval to the proposed law (amendment) titled ‘Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2018’ was given at the weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Prime Minister’s Office with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam briefed the reporters after the meeting.

Briefing reporters, Shafiul Alam said, “Electronic voting machines can be used in the parliamentary polls if the act is passed in the Jatiya Sangsad.”

“If the act is not passed in the Jatiya Sangsad, an ordinance in this regard will be promulgated to use the EVMs in the upcoming polls,” he added.

With the amendment, he said, a loan defaulter will be allowed to pay his loan before submission of his nomination paper for contesting the parliamentary polls.

Besides, the Cabinet Secretary said, the submission of nomination papers online will be allowed alongside the existing manual system.

He said all kinds of safety measures have been kept in the amendment proposal for removing any fear related to the EVM use.

On August 30, the Election Commission decided to propose the amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) incorporating a provision to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) in national elections.


risingbd/Dhaka/Oct 29, 2018/Noimuddin/AI