Pak Election Commission interested in Indian EVMs

The Election Commission of Pakistan has evinced interest in Indian electronic voting machines and has requested for a demonstration of the EVMs, the Election Commission said on Saturday.

New Delhi: The Election Commission of
Pakistan has evinced interest in Indian electronic voting
machines and has requested for a demonstration of the EVMs,
the Election Commission said on Saturday.

"They have requested for a bilateral meeting and a
demonstration of the Indian EVMs and for a visit to an EVM
factory, which the Election Commission here has accepted," DG
of Election Commission of India Akshay Rout told reporters.
A delegation from the Election Commission of Pakistan
would be here to attend the valedictory function of the
diamond jubilee celebrations of ECI here on January 25, which
is also being observed as the National Voters` Day.

President Pratibha Patil will be gracing the function
which will also be attended by over 30 heads of national
electoral management bodies including Election Commissions
from all the SAARC countries, Rout said.

"Millions of newly eligible and registered voters in the
updated electoral roll as of January 1, 2011 will be given
away Elector Photo Identity Cards on that day in about eight
lakh polling booths across the country," he said, describing
the exercise as "unprecedented" by any standard.

Rout said new voters in the age group of 18 and 19 would
primarily be given the cards on that day. They will also be
given badges with slogan `proud to be a voter-ready to vote`
and administered a pledge, he said.

The President will be giving away cards to five such
voters at the function.

Rout said the exact number of such new voters would be
made available in the next few days.
The Government is celebrating the voters` day with an
aim to encourage more young voters to take part in the
political process. A meeting of the Union Cabinet had on
Thursday approved celebration of the day.

Observing that new voters, who have attained the age of
18 years, were showing less interest in getting enrolled, I&B
Minister Ambika Soni had said that the level of their
enrolment was as low as 20 to 25 per cent in certain cases.

The Election Commission would also be hosting an
international conference on `best electoral practices` on the
eve of the voters` day celebration with an aim to facilitate
exchange of experience and expertise among major practitioners
of electoral democracy, Rout said.

PTI

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