EC to hold all-party meet on EVMs

To discuss poll bribery, VVPAT revamp

The Election Commission on Wednesday released the agenda for an all-party meeting on May 12, which includes deliberations on the security of electronic voting machines (EVMs). The electoral body will also invite suggestions from the parties on conducting a “machine tampering” challenge.

Suggestions on revisiting the rules on counting of paper slips from the VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) system will also be discussed. The EC has invited seven national parties and 48 State parties to the meeting.

Stringent provision

The proposal to make bribery and undue influence during elections a cognisable offence tops the agenda list. The Commission is of the view that law has to be amended to make penal provisions more stringent.

In the Representation of the People Act, there is a specific section (58A) that empowers the EC to order a re-poll or to countermand election in a constituency in the event of booth capturing. However, there is no specific provision to deal with bribery of electors. The EC has proposed that anyone charged with bribery be disqualified from contesting elections.

“The EC has been calling for disqualification even prior to the conviction by court in the case of for serious offences,” it said. The EC has suggested that for crimes punishable with imprisonment of five years or more for a case registered at least six months earlier, disqualification should commence from the stage the charges are framed by the court.

The EC has invited them to discuss proposals such as one on capping donations in cash at ₹20 crore or 20% of the donations in a year, whichever is less.