07-06-2009, 02:27 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>CPM, JD(S), LJP also doubt EVM efficacy</b>
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
Back Advaniâs demand for reverting to ballot papers
Despite the Election Commissionâs claim about the infallibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs), senior BJP leader LK Advaniâs demand for bringing back ballot papers got support from several quarters.
Advaniâs call triggered a serious debate about the possibility of âerrorâ and deliberate misuse in the functioning of EVMs and brought into the open what few leaders were ready to discuss in public for fear of being dubbed âbad losersâ.
Even as the CPI(M), JD(S) and LJP backed his suggestion for re-introduction of ballot papers in place of EVMs, the Congress reacted by saying it was an âastonishingâ statement by a losing party which was in search of wrong answers for its loss. The Election Commission also rejected allegations about EVM functioning, saying it was satisfied about non-tamperability and the foolproof working of EVMs.
Incidentally, former <b>Delhi Chief Secretary Omesh Saigal had last week given a presentation to the commission as to how EVMs can be programmed to manipulate results.</b>
BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said his party was making it âvery clearâ that it was not raising any question mark over the recently-held Lok Sabha elections in the âabsence of any tangible proofâ.
<b>âIt is certainly expected that the Election Commission would ensure after proper inquiry that the EVMs are not subjected to any manipulation or malfunctioning. Till that is done, it is expected that the elections to Maharashtra, Haryana etc will be done through ballot papers,â he said. Prasad noted that in Germany, voting machines have been prohibited while in the US, it is mandatory to provide paper back-ups to EVMs. </b>âNow, many parts of the worldâs democracies are following the old system of ballot papers.â
The CPI(M) said the questions being raised about the functioning of EVMs should be considered âvery seriouslyâ, especially as many countries have reverted to ballot papers, including developed nations. âMany questions related to EVMs have already been raised. These are serious issues and if we want to strengthen our democracy, we should consider the matter very seriously,â CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury told reporters here. He said many countries in the world had reverted to ballot papers.
Addressing a Press conference, JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda said secrecy cannot be maintained in EVMs. âThis system should be abandoned. At the all-party meeting before the election, our party had enlisted the shortcomings of EVMs. <b>In EVMs, booth-wise details of voting can be known. It can lead to parties intimidating and harassing voters in a particular area,â </b>he said. Gowda said the country should go back to the old system of ballot papers.
LJP secretary general Abdul Khalid said his party demanded that the practice of using EVMs should be stopped and the old practice of ballot papers should be brought back. âEVMs can be tampered with. At times there are problems even in polling inside Parliament. So how can EVMs be foolproof?â he asked.
Reacting to Advaniâs statement, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said it was an âastonishingâ statement from a top leader of a losing party. âAdvaniâs comments are the most unfortunate. I hope and trust that they do not betray a lack of grace over the loss in the elections,â he said. Singhvi said he hoped that Advani does not take the country back to dark ages when India is proclaimed a proud democracy with 1.2 million EVMs in over 1 million polling booths and 700 million voters and results are out in four hours after the counting starts.
However, his party colleague and another spokesman Manish Tiwari said he would like a wider discussion on the efficacy of EVMs and whether there could be manipulation at a macro level. âYou know, this is a fundamental concern for democracy. And to that extent, the Leader of Opposition is correct that there is a need for wider probe,â he said.
Reacting to the CPI(M)âs concern over functioning of EVMs, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Left party now wanted to revert to ballot papers as it might have found it difficult to âmanipulateâ the machines which were updated by the Election Commission. âNow that the CPI(M) has been comprehensively defeated in successive elections, it wants to revert to voting through ballot papers since it probably finds it difficult to manipulate the machines which are kept under the custody of the Election Commission,â Banerjee said.
The Railway Minister told reporters before leaving for Delhi that the machines had been modernised by the EC, which said these had been made tamper-proof. âBecause of this, possibly the CPI(M) is finding it difficult to manipulate the machines,â she added.
In a statement on Sunday evening, the EC said the tamper-proof technological soundness of EVMs has been endorsed by a technical experts sub-committee appointed at the initiative of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms in 1990. The EC said it has also been consulting a group of technical experts -- comprising Prof PV Indiresan (who was also part of the earlier committee referred to above) and Prof DT Sahani and Prof AK Agarwala, both of IIT Delhi -- regularly on all EVM-related technical issues.
Besides, the commission has in place elaborate administrative measures and procedural checks and balances aimed at total transparency and prevention of any possible misuse or procedural lapses, it added.
âThe Election Commission of India is amply satisfied about the non-tamperability and the fool-proof working of the EVMs. The commissionâs confidence in the efficacy of the EVMs has been fortified by the judgments of various courts and the views of technical experts,â it said.
The commission will, however, consider all the points raised and apprehensions expressed recently by various political leaders and individuals regarding EVMs and take all necessary measures to clear doubts about EVM elections in the country, it said.
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Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
Back Advaniâs demand for reverting to ballot papers
Despite the Election Commissionâs claim about the infallibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs), senior BJP leader LK Advaniâs demand for bringing back ballot papers got support from several quarters.
Advaniâs call triggered a serious debate about the possibility of âerrorâ and deliberate misuse in the functioning of EVMs and brought into the open what few leaders were ready to discuss in public for fear of being dubbed âbad losersâ.
Even as the CPI(M), JD(S) and LJP backed his suggestion for re-introduction of ballot papers in place of EVMs, the Congress reacted by saying it was an âastonishingâ statement by a losing party which was in search of wrong answers for its loss. The Election Commission also rejected allegations about EVM functioning, saying it was satisfied about non-tamperability and the foolproof working of EVMs.
Incidentally, former <b>Delhi Chief Secretary Omesh Saigal had last week given a presentation to the commission as to how EVMs can be programmed to manipulate results.</b>
BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said his party was making it âvery clearâ that it was not raising any question mark over the recently-held Lok Sabha elections in the âabsence of any tangible proofâ.
<b>âIt is certainly expected that the Election Commission would ensure after proper inquiry that the EVMs are not subjected to any manipulation or malfunctioning. Till that is done, it is expected that the elections to Maharashtra, Haryana etc will be done through ballot papers,â he said. Prasad noted that in Germany, voting machines have been prohibited while in the US, it is mandatory to provide paper back-ups to EVMs. </b>âNow, many parts of the worldâs democracies are following the old system of ballot papers.â
The CPI(M) said the questions being raised about the functioning of EVMs should be considered âvery seriouslyâ, especially as many countries have reverted to ballot papers, including developed nations. âMany questions related to EVMs have already been raised. These are serious issues and if we want to strengthen our democracy, we should consider the matter very seriously,â CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury told reporters here. He said many countries in the world had reverted to ballot papers.
Addressing a Press conference, JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda said secrecy cannot be maintained in EVMs. âThis system should be abandoned. At the all-party meeting before the election, our party had enlisted the shortcomings of EVMs. <b>In EVMs, booth-wise details of voting can be known. It can lead to parties intimidating and harassing voters in a particular area,â </b>he said. Gowda said the country should go back to the old system of ballot papers.
LJP secretary general Abdul Khalid said his party demanded that the practice of using EVMs should be stopped and the old practice of ballot papers should be brought back. âEVMs can be tampered with. At times there are problems even in polling inside Parliament. So how can EVMs be foolproof?â he asked.
Reacting to Advaniâs statement, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said it was an âastonishingâ statement from a top leader of a losing party. âAdvaniâs comments are the most unfortunate. I hope and trust that they do not betray a lack of grace over the loss in the elections,â he said. Singhvi said he hoped that Advani does not take the country back to dark ages when India is proclaimed a proud democracy with 1.2 million EVMs in over 1 million polling booths and 700 million voters and results are out in four hours after the counting starts.
However, his party colleague and another spokesman Manish Tiwari said he would like a wider discussion on the efficacy of EVMs and whether there could be manipulation at a macro level. âYou know, this is a fundamental concern for democracy. And to that extent, the Leader of Opposition is correct that there is a need for wider probe,â he said.
Reacting to the CPI(M)âs concern over functioning of EVMs, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Left party now wanted to revert to ballot papers as it might have found it difficult to âmanipulateâ the machines which were updated by the Election Commission. âNow that the CPI(M) has been comprehensively defeated in successive elections, it wants to revert to voting through ballot papers since it probably finds it difficult to manipulate the machines which are kept under the custody of the Election Commission,â Banerjee said.
The Railway Minister told reporters before leaving for Delhi that the machines had been modernised by the EC, which said these had been made tamper-proof. âBecause of this, possibly the CPI(M) is finding it difficult to manipulate the machines,â she added.
In a statement on Sunday evening, the EC said the tamper-proof technological soundness of EVMs has been endorsed by a technical experts sub-committee appointed at the initiative of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms in 1990. The EC said it has also been consulting a group of technical experts -- comprising Prof PV Indiresan (who was also part of the earlier committee referred to above) and Prof DT Sahani and Prof AK Agarwala, both of IIT Delhi -- regularly on all EVM-related technical issues.
Besides, the commission has in place elaborate administrative measures and procedural checks and balances aimed at total transparency and prevention of any possible misuse or procedural lapses, it added.
âThe Election Commission of India is amply satisfied about the non-tamperability and the fool-proof working of the EVMs. The commissionâs confidence in the efficacy of the EVMs has been fortified by the judgments of various courts and the views of technical experts,â it said.
The commission will, however, consider all the points raised and apprehensions expressed recently by various political leaders and individuals regarding EVMs and take all necessary measures to clear doubts about EVM elections in the country, it said.
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