ECP directs ministry to ‘follow procedure’ for EVMs purchase
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has said that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) purchased by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) from a private firm and given to it will not be accepted.
In a letter to the MoST, the election supervisor reminded the ministry that it should sign an agreement with an organisation for acquiring the EVMs.
The communication stated that according to the constitution, the purchase of the machines from open market was the job of the ECP.
It noted that if the EVMs are purchased from a foreign country the election supervisor would issue tenders under the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules for the purpose.
The letter asked the MoST to clarify if the required testing of the EVMs had been carried out by its experts.
The ECP has sought 3,900 machines for the Islamabad mayor elections.
Earlier this month, Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz had said that the upcoming local government elections in the federal capital would be held through the EVMs.
The minister remarked that the legislation regarding the machines had been completed and now the government had entered into the phase of implementation.
The local government elections in Islamabad are likely to be held in the month of April as per the law.
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He said the MoST had developed a prototype of the EVM as per the requirements of the ECP while the additional features were also incorporated after testing the machine.
Sources in the ECP claimed that the government was intimidating the electoral watchdog through media and statements.
Last year, the election supervisor informed the federal cabinet that it would take an initial amount of Rs59 billion to purchase the EVMs, set up a data centre and install a system for e-voting.
The ruling PTI has been pushing for EVMs, saying they are a modern and scientific way of ensuring free and fair polls in the country while the opposition is resisting the move claiming that the machines would be conducive to rigging.
Among other objections, the election supervisor observes that the EVMs are not tamper-proof; have software that could be hacked; there is not sufficient time to procure and deploy a large number of machines; there are security issues.