New Delhi, Jan 29 (Inditop.com) Indian electronic voting machines (EVMs) may be a subject of controversy in the country, but that hasn’t stopped poll panels of many countries, including South Africa from showing interest in acquiring the ballot gadget.
According to the Election Commission of India, poll bodies of South Africa, Mauritius, Kenya and Nepal have evinced keen interest in the EVMs.
The interest in Indian EVMs from foreign poll management bodies comes in the backdrop of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Telugu Desam Party and the AIADMK, among others, and some rights activists raising questions over the proper functioning of the voting machines.
In his latest criticism, BJP’s Parliamentary Party chairman L.K. Advani early this week blogged that “there’s no such thing called a tamper-proof electronic voting machine”. He asked the poll panel to clear misgivings and apprehensions on their functioning.
Meanwhile, India’s Chief Election Commissioner Navin B. Chawla and Election Commissioners S.Y. Quraishi and V.S. Sampath Thursday met with the poll panel heads of Commonwealth nations who were in New Delhi for the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Election Commission of India.
The Indian officials met with Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Mmasegoa Masire-Mwamba.
Masire-Mwamba complimented India’s leadership in election management and suggested that the ECI should play a key role in promotion of democratic process worldwide through the mechanism of the proposed Commonwealth network of election management bodies, according to an official statement.
Several countries requested for the Election Commission’s support in training, improvement of skills and human resource development. Some heads of electoral bodies requested that their personnel should get an exposure to the conduct of Indian elections.
Indian voting officials also met with US election commissioner Ellen L. Weinstraub. The exchange focused on campaign financing, expenditure scrutiny and regulatory provisions, the statement said.
“Improvement of electoral rolls, voters’ awareness and education, enforcement of model code of conduct and engagement of technology in improving election management were discussed in the bilateral meetings,” the statement said.
