The Election Commission on Saturday said 75 international visitors from election management bodies of 23 countries arrived in the country to watch the world’s largest election (Lok Sabha polls) unfold.
“As a beacon of electoral integrity and transparency, the 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 continues fostering international cooperation by organising the Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) during the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections,’” the poll panel said.
The ECI said the event will be a first in terms of the scale and magnitude of participation.
“Seventy-five delegates representing various EMBs and organisations from 23 countries namely – Bhutan, Mongolia, Australia, Madagascar, Fiji, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Moldova, Tunisia, Seychelles, Cambodia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Chile, Uzbekistan, Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Namibia will take part in the event,” it said.
The poll panel said members from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and media teams from Bhutan and Israel will also participate.
Beginning on 4th May, the program seeks to familiarise foreign EMBs with the nuances of India’s electoral system as well as the best practices used by the largest democracy in the world, it said.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu will address the delegates on the 5th May. Then the delegates will embark on visits to six states–Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh in small groups to observe polls and related preparedness in various constituencies. The programme will end on the 9th May.
The general elections are being held in seven phases between 19th April and 1st June. The first phase of polling was held on 19th April and second phase on 26th April. The results will be declared on 4th June.