Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar is Intl Observer for Nepal polls

New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar has been invited by the Election Commission of Nepal as the International Observer for the forthcoming elections to Nepal’s House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said here on Thursday.

Polling are scheduled in Nepal on November 20 for the Federal and Provincial elections to elect 275 members of the Federal Parliament and for 550 seats of the seven Provincial Assemblies, the poll panel said in a communique.

Kumar will be leading a delegation of ECI officials as State Guest in Nepal from November 18 to 22, it said.During the visit, Kumar would be visiting polling stations in Kathmandu and areas around, the statement said.

The ECI also has a similar International 'Election Visitors Program' where members from other Election Management Bodies are invited to experience firsthand our General and Assembly Elections held periodically, it added.

The ECI has always been in the forefront with fellow Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and relevant international organisations/associations in promoting the cause of democracy worldwide, through bilateral as well as multilateral interactions and has always endeavored to promote contacts, facilitate exchange of knowledge and sharing of best practices with a view to strengthen democratic institutions and processes, the release said.

The Commission's India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) has so far trained more than 2,200 officers from 109 countries of whom 70 officers were from Nepal as part of capacity building initiatives, it said.

A capacity building program for 25 officials from Election Commission of Nepal is also scheduled to be held from March 13 to 24, 2023 at IIIDEM, it added.(UNI)