C T Online Desk: Seventy-five delegates representing election management bodies (EMBs)and organizations from 23 countries, including Bangladesh, are now in India to watch the world’s largest parliamentary elections unfold.
The event will be a first in terms of the scale and magnitude of participation, the Indian Election Commission, which invited the delegates, said today.
“As a beacon of electoral integrity and transparency, the Election Commission of India (ECI) exemplifies its commitment to conduct general elections of the highest standards, offering a golden bridge for global Election Management Bodies (EMBs) to witness democratic excellence first-hand,” the ECI said adding it continues fostering international cooperation by organising the Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) during the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
Besides Bangladesh, the delegates are from Bhutan, Mongolia, Australia, Madagascar, Fiji, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Moldova, Tunisia, Seychelles, Cambodia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Chile, Uzbekistan, Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Namibia will take part in the event. Members from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and media teams from Bhutan and Israel will also participate.
The programme seeks to familiarize foreign Election Management Bodies (EMBs) with the nuances of India’s electoral system as well as the best practices used by the largest democracy in the world.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu will address the delegates on May 5. Thereafter, the delegates will embark on visits to six states Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh in small groups to observe the polls and related preparedness in various constituencies. The programme will end on May 9.
The world’s largest parliamentary elections are being held in India from 19 April to 1 June 2024 in seven phases.
