MARGAO
Scrapping of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and demand for the return of ballot system of election echoed at the gram sabhas of Salcete talukas on Sunday.
The issue figured prominently at the gram sabha of the Guirdolim village panchayat chaired by Sarpanch Sonia Fernandes. The sarpanch told The Goan that the resolution will be forwarded to the authorities including the Election Commission of India.
The Sao Jose de Areal village gram sabha also demanded the scrapping of the EVMs in the election.
Gram sabha member Tenny Paul Fernandes pointed out that serious allegations regarding the tampering and manipulation of EVMs persist, further exacerbated by instances such as, votes cast for one candidate being recorded for another; number of recorded votes exceeding actual votes cast at polling booths and seizures of EVMs from private individuals and reports of missing machines.
Considering the worldwide discontinuation of EVMs and the importance of a verifiable and trustworthy electoral process, and to ensure free and fair elections as per the Constitutional mandate, he said the gram sabha of Sao Jose de Areal village panchayat has unanimously deemed it imperative for the Election Commission to discontinue the use of EVMs in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and all future elections.
The resolution calls for reintroducing the voting system using ballot paper, ensuring a verifiable and auditable process.
The gram sabha further endorsed the points raised at recently held meetings stating that the EVMs cannot be guaranteed tamper-proof and the voting process must be redesigned to be independent of specific software or hardware, allowing for verification and auditing.
After discussions, the gram sabha of Sao Jose de Areal has urged the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections by reintroducing the ballot paper voting system.
