Future elections: new CEC faces challenging task to take final decision on use of EVMs

The most challenging task before the newly-appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) former Justice Sardar Raza Khan is to take a final decision on the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in future elections.
In its second 5-year Strategic Plan 2014-18, the ECP states:" Undertook a feasibility study on the use of EVMs and arranged demonstrations by national and international service providers for political parties and other stakeholders. This is to help the ECP to finally take a decision, in consultation with political parties, on piloting the EVMs and their use for future elections."
However, during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms, an official of the ECP surprised the members of the committee by saying that EVMs were as prone to fraud as traditional polling methods. The strategic plan does not have the merits and demerits associated with EVMs and biometric technology, but in the meeting of the parliamentary committee, the official claimed that it was a myth that EVMs could make the electoral exercise 100 percent fair and transparent. He cited the examples of six European countries, which had switched back to conventional voting methods after abandoning EVMs because of a lack of transparency and trust.
Sources in ECP said that Director General post was of grade 20, but a grade 19 officer was occupying the post of DG ECP, which has to take steps to enable the country to take the next poll on EVMs and bio-metric system. Sources further said that the new chief is likely to reshuffle the ECP Secretariat as the electoral body needs efficient and competent officers.