US Ambassador Miller finds no fault in EVMs

FT ONLINE

Expressing the hope that the upcoming elections to the Dhaka south and north city corporations would be participatory, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Robert Earl Miller on Monday said there is no fault in EVMs.

“I have inspected Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). There is no fault in the EVMs,” he said.

He came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after a US delegation, led by him, held a meeting with chief election commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital Agargaon area this noon.

Earl R Miller encouraged voters to cast their votes hoping that the elections to two Dhaka city corporations will be festive, free and credible ones.

He said the important thing is that folks go out and vote whatever candidates they choose to vote for.

“Election turnout in Bangladesh is often found much higher than the United States,” he told reporters.

Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury was with the CEC at the meeting.

Elections to both the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) will be held on February 1.

The US Ambassador said they, along with other members of diplomatic corps, will see how this democratic process goes during the polls of Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations.

He said it is also encouraging to hear that people on both sides of the political spectrum are looking at each other as worthy candidates and whoever win will be the leaders of Dhaka.

Encouraging all voters to participate in the process, the US envoy said it is not an easy process but a “vitally important” one.

He laid emphasis on allowing voters who want to cast their votes are allowed to do so.

The US Ambassador said the officials explained him about the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the February-1 city corporations’ polls.

On December 22 last, the CEC announced the election schedule for the polls fixing January 30 as the voting date but the date was rescheduled for February 1 as January 30 coincided with Saraswati Puja.