Awami League wants EVMs in all 300 seats: Quader

Awami League wants use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in all the 300 parliamentary seats in the next general election but the Election Commission will take the final decision based on its capacity, said Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the ruling party, on Tuesday.

“Election Commission will conduct the election using EVMs according to its capacity but we want its use in all 300 seats,” Quader said after emerging from a meeting at the party’s central office on Bagabandhu Avenue in Dhaka.

Earlier in the day, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said that the Election Commission (EC) is not prepared enough to use the EVMs in all constituencies in the next general elections, taking place at the end of 2023 or at the beginning of the following year.

Besides responding to a query over the EVMs, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a press conference at his party’s Nayapaltan central office said that his party will not take part in the election under Sheikh Hasina-led government.

When drawing attention in this regard, Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, warned that no result will be yielded in doing a bargain as the franchise will follow only constitutional obligations.

“We will not move a hair amount from the constitution. The election must be held according to the constitution,” Quader said, clarifying that there is no path to bring change in the power without election.

He also called upon the BNP to be prepared to take part in the next general election under the management of the ruling party government.