International Election Visitor Program (IEVP) for Indian General Elections

The International Election Visitors Program (IEVP) was organized in New Delhi in the presence of CEC Rajeev Kumar, EC Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. Under the IEVP, 75 delegates representing 23 countries are in India observing the Indian general elections.

This initiative follows the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s tradition of promoting a culture of transparency and reiterating its commitment to high standards of electoral practices among democracies.

Key Points

• The contribution of the Indian electoral sector and the work done by the Election Commission of India is an important part of the global democratic arena.
• What can legitimately be called ‘democratic surplus’, in terms of process and capacity, is very important in the shrinking of democratic spaces around the world.
• The delegates were briefed on various aspects of Indian General Elections 2024 including EVM-VVPAT, IT initiatives, role of media and social media.
• The delegates will be divided into groups to visit six states – Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh – to observe the elections and related preparations in different constituencies.
• Will introduce foreign EMB delegates to the nuances of India’s electoral system as well as best practices in Indian elections.
• This year, commensurate with the scope and scale of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, various election management bodies (EMBs) and organizations from 23 countries – Bhutan, Mongolia, Australia, Madagascar, Fiji, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Moldova, Tunisia, Seychelles, Cambodia, Nepal , the largest delegation ever, representing the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Chile, Uzbekistan, Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Namibia. Members of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and media teams from Bhutan and Israel are also participating.

Election Commission of India (ECI)

• It is an independent and impartial institution constituted by the Constitution, whose main objective is to conduct elections to the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies and the President and Vice President.
• Constitutional Provisions: The Election Commission has been constituted under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution.
• Composition: The Election Commission consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. He is appointed by the President.
• Tenure: The tenure of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners is for 6 years or till they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• Powers and Functions: The Election Commission has the powers to ensure smooth conduct of elections, update voter lists, grant recognition to political parties and enforce the election code of conduct.

International Election Visitors Program (IEVP)

• It is an initiative started by the Election Commission of India.
• Its main objective is to provide information about the electoral processes of India to the delegates from different countries and to give them an experience of Indian democracy.
• Background: This program was started in the year 1994. Foreign delegates are invited to observe India’s voting process.
• Objective: Its main objective is to showcase Indian democracy and electoral system to the world and provide learning opportunities.
• Delegates: Representatives from political parties, election commissions, media, civil society and educational institutions of different nations are invited.
• Programme: Visitors are exposed to various aspects of India’s electoral machinery, processes and governance. They also visit polling stations and counting sites.
• Multilateral Cooperation: ECI cooperates with international agencies such as the United Nations Voter Assistance Fund to organize the IEVP.

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