India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Union Cabinet on 22nd January gave its approval for the proposal of the Legislative Department for allowing the election commission to enter into Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the Independent High Authority for Elections of Tunisia (ISIE) and the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission(PNGEC) for elections for cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration.
The MOUs would promote bilateral cooperation, aimed at building Technical assistance and support for the ISIE and the PNGEC for elections for cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration, envisaging cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration and providing a leg-up to such bodies in conducting elections in their respective countries.
This would also result in bolstering India’s international relations, cabinet stated.
The Election Commission of India has been participating in promoting cooperation in the field of election matters and electoral processes across the world with certain foreign countries and agencies by adopting the mode of MoU signed by the concerned parties.
The Election Commission, a constitutional body, conducts the largest electoral exercise in the world.
It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to organise free and fair elections in the country of about 85 crore voters with diverse socio-political and economic backgrounds.
In recent years, the role being played by the Election Commission ensures greater participation of people in political affairs.
India, today, is considered as the world’s ‘largest’ democratic country. The success of democracy in India has attracted the attention of almost every political system around the world.
In its pursuit of excellence, the Election Commission has been receiving various proposals from foreign electoral bodies for developing bilateral relations in the field of election and matters connected therewith.
These MoUs help to broadly express promotion of cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration including promotion of exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of organizational and technical development of electoral process; support in exchanging information, institutional strengthening and capacity building, training of personnel, and holding regular consultations.
