New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) CEC Gyanesh Kumar who arrived in Sweden a day earlier while marking the beginning of his official engagements before he assumes the Chairship of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) on Wednesday, met the Committee on the Constitution at the Swedish Parliament and held discussions on various aspects of democracy.
“CEC Gyanesh Kumar meets the Committee on the Constitution at the Swedish Parliament; holds discussions on various aspects of democracy,” the ECI said on X.
Earlier, the CEC also unveiled the plaque at International IDEA Headquarters in Sweden and met Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary-General of International IDEA.
The CEC will take over the Chairship of IIDEA in the meeting of the Council of Member States of International IDEA to be held in Stockholm, Sweden.
As Chair, he will be presiding over all council meetings during the year 2026.
International IDEA, established in 1995, is an inter-governmental organisation committed to strengthening democratic institutions and processes across the world. With a current membership of 35 countries and the United States and Japan as Observers, the organisation promotes inclusive, resilient, and accountable democracies.
“The Chairship marks a significant milestone, reflecting global recognition of the Election Commission of India as one of the world’s most credible and innovative Election Management Bodies (EMBs),” the ECI said in its press note earlier.
India, a founding member of IIDEA, has consistently contributed to the organisation’s governance, democratic discourse and institutional initiatives.
“As Chair, the CEC will leverage the country’s unmatched experience of conducting the world’s largest elections to shape IIDEA’s global agenda. The collaboration will strengthen knowledge-sharing, reinforce professional networks among EMBs, and support evidence-based global electoral reforms,” the ECI said.
Being the world’s largest electorate of nearly a billion electors and with well laid down and documented transparent electoral processes, India will endeavour to share its best practices with the EMBs across the world during the year.
Since its inception, IIIDEM has been training election officials not only within the country but also across the world. Till date, IIIDEM has signed MoUs with 28 countries and has also trained 3169 officials from nearly 142 countries.
Under CEC’s leadership, IIDEA and ECI will work closely to document and disseminate ECI’s technological and administrative innovations and best practices internationally.
–IANS
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