By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Majority of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) members on Thursday favoured reverting back to the secret ballot paper instead of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the forthcoming Council elections due next year.
While moving a motion on the use of the EVMs in the District Council election during the Summer Session here, Independent MDC James Ban Basaiawmoit (Mawkhar) said that there are doubts among the people about the efficiency of the EVMs.
Referring to reports of use of defective EVMs in the last Assembly elections, he said problem surfaced in EVMs in two polling stations in two constituencies.
“The voters were forced to cast their votes till midnight,” Basaiawmoit said.
While urging the Executive Committee to reconsider the option of reverting back to the old ballot system, Basaiawmoit said even developed countries like United Kingdom, Unites States of America and Germany were still using the old ballot system.
While urging the KHADC executive committee to examine the demand, Basaiawmoit questioned as to how the EVM machines can be used here when countries like Japan where the EVM machines are manufactured are still using ballot paper in the elections.
Supporting Basaiawmoit, Nongkrem Congress MDC Lambor Malngiang said that in the last Assembly election, there were many EVMs which were found to be defective.
“In my constituency, there was an EVM which could not be opened,” Malngiang said. The Nongkrem MDC had also filed a case before the Meghalaya High Court questioning efficiency of EVMs.
Malngiang said, “If the Council wants to hold a free and fair election then it should be held in the old ballot system.” Mylliem MDC Teilinia Thangkhiew suggested that the House should pass a resolution opposing use of EVMs. In his reply, KHADC CEM Pynshngaiñ N Syiem said an amendment to Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Council) Rules, 1951needs to be passed “if we are to revert back to the old ballot system”. He said that the Rules were amended on December 16, 2008 to pave way for the use of the EVMs in the last District Council election in 2009.
“We can table this amendment in the next session,” Syiem added.