8 Dec 2010
EC YIELDS ON EVM: PANEL TO STUDY PAPER TRAIL
From Our Delhi Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has yielded to the political pressure to consider the "voter verifiable paper trail" of voting by the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to enhance voters' confidence and satisfaction.
It announced on Friday its decision to refer the issue to a technical expert committee to examine it "in all aspects through a process of wide consultation."
The decision is based on several political parties stressing, during a consultation the commission had with all recognised political parties here on Monday, that such a trail will remove all doubts about manipulation of votes in the EVMs.
A commission press note said the political parties' consensus was to continue use of the EVMs used effectively in elections in India for more than a decade, but they wanted the commission to explore feasibility of the paper trail to further enhance voters' satisfaction. The expert committee shall submit its report to the commission for its consideration.
It said the parties also endorsed the Election Commission's drive to tackle menace of money power and "paid news" and appreciated the Commission's orders for strict enforcement of expenditure monitoring measures during the elections.
Political parties also suggested that the commission better relax the restrictions on the conventional methods of election campaign as these restrictions have led to alternative and pernicious practices like "paid news."
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