India-made Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can accommodate all the registered parties in Nepal but using them in upcoming provincial and federal parliamentary elections could be challenging due to time constraints, a team of election officials visiting India to study the matter have concluded.

An Election Commission team representing Laxmi Prasad Yadav, the EC’s IT division chief, Joint-secretary Nawaraj Dhakal, Computer Engineer Sameer Thapa and Under-secretary Desh Bandhu Adhikari last week visited India’s two state-owned companies—Bharat Electronic Limited, Bangalore and Electronic Corporation of India, Hyderabad, which produce and supply EVMs to the Indian Election Commission.

The team is preparing to submit its report to the EC. According to a member of the team, the EVMs produced by both the companies could accommodate as many as 384 parties, unlike in 2013 when Indian EVMs accommodated only 64 parties. Despite planning to use Indian EVMs in the Constituent Assembly elections in 2013, the EC had dropped the idea after the number of registered political parties reached 122.

“They now have improved versions of EVMs which are tried and tested. They don’t have a complex software system and are easy to use,” said a member of the team. Currently, over 130 parties have been registered for election. However, EC officials are not sure if the machines could be used in the upcoming provincial and federal parliamentary elections, given the time constraints. The constitution requires both the elections as well as those for the National Assembly to be held by January 21, 2018. 

The EC has proposed holding the polls by the third week of November as the weather gets adverse in the mountainous region after that.

It means there is only four months time to hold all the elections. The Indian companies told the team that it would take around five months to deliver the EVMs once an order is placed, according to a member.

“We can expect that they can fast-track the process to deliver the EVMs in four months. So if a decision to purchase them is taken immediately, the EVMs could be used in at least one election,” said a delegate.

However, the government is yet to announce the dates. The Cabinet on Thursday formed the Constituency Delimitation Commission for the provincial and federal parliamentary elections.

Political parties also need to be convinced about the use and credibility of EVMs before the EC ventures to purchase them. Likewise, the Indian manufactures also need the approval of India’s election authority and other relevant agencies once the EC Nepal sends specifications.

Election Commissioner Narendra Dahal said they would take an appropriate decision on the matter once they get a report from the team. The poll body wants to use EVMs to reduce the high percentage of invalid votes witnessed in the last two rounds of the local level elections. The machines can be used for early vote results at a time when the ballot counting process has been too slow.

The EC has around 1,000 EVMs manufactured by two Indian companies that were donated by India. The EC first used EVMs in Kathmandu Constituency 1 in 2008. After no complaints were received about their performance, the machines were used in subsequent by-elections.

Prior to holding the local elections, the EC had attempted to purchase EVMs from the UK-based Smartmatic. But the move was aborted due to a controversy over possible financial embezzlement.

Bid to improve electoral system

• The EVMs produced by two Indian companies could accommodate as many as 384 parties, unlike in 2013 when Indian EVMs accommodated only 64 parties

• Despite planning to use Indian EVMs in the Constituent Assembly elections in 2013, the EC had dropped the idea after the number of registered political parties reached 122

• Indian companies say it will take around five months to deliver the EVMs once an order is placed

• Political parties also need to be convinced about the use and credibility of EVMs before the EC ventures to purchase them

• The Indian manufactures also need the approval of India’s election authority and other relevant agencies once the EC Nepal sends specifications