Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Commonwealth Countries to avail Election Commission of India’s expertise to improve Election Management and Democratic Practices. Commonwealth Secretary General meets Commission to strengthen co-operation

Election Commission of India has agreed to support Commonwealth nations, specially the developing and African countries in improving Election Management and Democratic practices. The Commission’s proposed “Indian Institute for Democracy and Election Management (IIDEM)” will have a special facility for this purpose. This was agreed at a meeting between the Election Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner Dr.S.Y.Quraishi and the Commonwealth Secretary General Mr. Kamalesh Sharma in New Delhi. Election Commissioners Mr.V.S.Sampath and Mr. H.S.Brahma took part in the meeting, besides senior officials from both sides.

Dr. Quraishi conveyed to the Secretary General, Election Commission’s commitment to transfer skills and expertise to interested countries in order to advance Electoral Democracy across the world. He assured Mr.Sharma of requisite technical and financial support to the newly created Common Wealth Network of National Election Management Bodies (CNNEMB). Election Commission of India is on the Steering Committee of the Network and also leads one of its three working groups, that relates to, ‘Voters’ Education and Electoral participation’. The Chief Election Commissioner highlighted the Commission’s recent measures to secure greater participation of people in the electoral process through the concept of the National Voters Day and by adopting several marketing strategies.

The Commonwealth Secretary General lauded India’s leadership in Election Management and sought Election Commission’s active support for the CNNEMB initiative so as to make it fully operational before the next CHOGM meeting in October. He also discussed with the Commission the modalities of the working group meeting on “Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation” and issues relating to setting up of a CNNEMB Secretariat. He proposed to the Commission the institution of a Commonwealth Election Partnership Centre in the planned IIDEM.

Mr. Kamalesh Sharma also went round the under construction IIDEM (Phase-I) premises in Nirvachan Sadan.

Election Commission of India New Delhi, 8th February, 2011

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