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The government has decided not to proceed with electronic voting machines (EVMs) procurement project for now but it has not been cancelled, said Election Commission Secretary Md Jahangir Alam on Monday.
"The Planning Commission has decided to suspend the processing of the project considering the government's financial capacity amid the global crisis after examining the project," he said while speaking at a press briefing held at the Election Commission, reports UNB.
Earlier on September 19 last year, the Election Commission (EC) approved a Tk 8,711 crore project to procure Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for 150 constituencies, out of 300, for the 12th parliamentary election.
On August 23, the EC decided to use electronic voting machines instead of traditional ballot papers in maximum 150 constituencies in the next general election - likely to be held early next year.
The decision received strong opposition from BNP and its allies, who didn't join the talks with the CEC that continued throughout the month of July.
However, the ruling Awami League welcomed the decision as it was their demand to use EVMs in all 300 seats in the next election.
Before suspending the process of the project, the Planning Commission had added the project for procuring two lakh electronic voting machines for holding the next general elections to the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the 2022-23 fiscal year as a new unapproved project.
“We have included the election commission’s project on procuring EVMs in the ADP for FY 2022-23 as it’s a massive project. The executive committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) cannot approve any project unless it is included in the ADP,” additional secretary Md Sayduzzaman told The Business Post on Tuesday.
The EC had sent a Tk 8,711 crore project for buying EVMs to use in at least 150 constituencies in the next general election. The EC wants to buy two lakh new EVMs, each costing Tk 3,05,000.
The Planning Commission, on November 9, sent the project back to the EC raising several issues. They asked the EC to revise the project and submit a fresh DPP.
The letter followed a directive of the prime minister at the November 8 meeting of the ECNEC where she instructed all to remain careful in spending public money in view of the global economic crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war and the pandemic.
The Planning Commission in the letter also suggested the EC discuss the issue of the project’s funding with the Finance Division and specify the detailed procurement process in the development project proposal.
It also recommended that the EC can hire instead of buying four SUVs and 534 double cabin pickups for carrying EVMs to the polling centres.
The letter also said the Planning Commission inducted the EVM procurement project into the ADP following a recommendation from a special meeting of the inter-ministerial committee held on October 26.
The commission also suggested rearranging the entire spending programme.
The EC’s project also includes the expenses of training personnel for operating the EVMs.
The Planning Commission asked the EC to send the revised project to the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) for the ECNEC’s approval.
