NEW DELHI, Dec 22: In a significant move to bolster international electoral cooperation, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday hosted high-level diplomatic meetings with the Ambassador of Brazil and the High Commissioner of Australia.
The meetings, held at Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI), underscores India’s growing role in global democratic governance.
Gyanesh Kumar, who also serves as the Chairperson of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), met with Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nobrega, Ambassador of Brazil to India, and Philip Green, High Commissioner of Australia to India.
The discussions centered on shared democratic values and the exchange of best practices in election management. The poll panel shared news of the engagement on its official handle on X.
The meetings focused on deepening institutional ties between the ECI and the electoral bodies of Brazil and Australia.
As the current Chair of International IDEA, India is spearheading global initiatives to support sustainable and inclusive democracy.
India’s expertise in managing the world’s largest electorate (over 970 million voters) was a focal point, alongside Brazil’s advanced electronic voting systems and Australia’s robust compulsory voting framework.
The timing of these meetings is particularly noteworthy as India assumed the Chairship of the Council of Member States of International IDEA for the year 2026. This intergovernmental organization, based in Stockholm, comprises 35 member states dedicated to supporting sustainable democracy worldwide.
Under the leadership of Gyanesh Kumar, the ECI has intensified its “Electoral Diplomacy.” Recent initiatives include:
Training election officials from various nations through the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).
Hosting international observers during the 2024 General Elections to witness the “Festival of Democracy.”
Sharing home-grown innovations like the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and VVPAT systems with other developing democracies.
Brazil and Australia are both key partners in this democratic dialogue. Brazil, like India, utilizes sophisticated technology to manage large-scale elections, while Australia remains a steady partner in the Indo-Pacific region, sharing India’s commitment to transparent and fair electoral processes.
(UNI)
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