New Delhi: The Election Commission on Tuesday
expressed its readiness to support Commonwealth nations,
especially the developing and African countries, in their
efforts to improve election management and democratic
practices.
The EC`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 Chief Election
Commissioner S Y Quraishi and Commonwealth Secretary General
Kamalesh Sharma here.
Quraishi also conveyed EC`s commitment to transfer
skills and expertise to interested countries in order to
advance electoral democracy across the world, an EC press note
said.
He also assured the Commonwealth SG of requisite
technical and financial support to the newly created
Commonwealth Network of National Election Management Bodies (CNNEMB).
Lauding India`s leadership in election management and
sought EC`s active support for the CNNEMB initiative so as to
make it fully operational before the next CHOGM meeting in
October, Sharma also proposed setting up of Commonwealth
Election Partnership Centre in the planned IIDEM.
PTI
