Democracy is alive in the hearts of people in Mahatma Gandhi’s country; we have never witnessed such elections – International Delegation

Team from Philippines and Sri Lanka calls on the Chief Electoral Officer
Appreciates smooth functioning of the Election Commission of India in conducting peaceful elections

Chief Electoral Officer, Shri Anupam Rajan on Wednesday, welcomed a visiting international delegation from the Philippines and Sri Lanka at Nirvachan Sadan in Bhopal. The delegation, which arrived on May 5th to observe and study India’s electoral system, shared their experiences from May 5th to May 7th. They lauded the vibrant spirit of democracy still alive in the land of Mahatma Gandhi, emphasizing that Indians celebrate elections as a festival unlike anything they’ve seen before. The delegation expressed awe at the deep-rooted faith and enthusiasm exhibited by every voter, showcasing a resolute commitment to democracy’s advancement. Over the three days of observation, they gleaned invaluable insights and were profoundly inspired by India’s electoral process. The delegation vowed to recommend the adoption of various effective facets of the Indian electoral system in their respective countries.

Shri Sundaram Arumanayagam, Commission Member of Sri Lanka’s Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Make Recommendations for Election Law Reforms, said that on the day of voting, we saw that every person appointed in the election was doing his job very well. No one was interfering in others’ work. Voters were standing patiently waiting for their turn. There were excellent voting arrangements in all the polling stations.

Commission member Sushri Nimalka Fernando said that India’s election system is overwhelming. We are extremely impressed and would recommend similar election arrangements in Sri Lanka.

Director of the Philippines’ Commission on Elections Sushri Celia B. Romero said that we closely observed all the processes from distribution of voting materials to completion of voting. It was a wonderful experience. The name of each candidate, his party, his photograph and his election symbol were also displayed in the EVM. Here the voter is provided a very simple and easy means to identify and select the candidate of his choice. This is an exemplary system.

Associate Commissioner of the Commission on Elections, Sushri Socorro B. Inting said that the Indian electoral system provides opportunities to voters for their participation by following an inclusive process. We are inspired by your system of connecting voters to the polls. She congratulated the Election Commission of India and Chief Electoral Officer Shri Rajan for conducting free, fair and peaceful elections.

Justice Wewage Priyasath Gerard Depp, Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Make Recommendations for Election Law Reforms, said that a good picture of the Indian electoral system has been imprinted in our hearts forever. We are surprised by the voting system through EVMs. How efficiently you conduct elections using EVMs. Here every voter has his own identity card. Due to this, no voter faces any difficulty in voting. We will recommend a similar co-ordinated election system for our country.

Other representatives of the International Delegation include Sushri Leslie N. C. Conquilla, Executive Assistant, ‘Commission on Elections’ of the Philippines and Shri Alisandaralage Senanayake, Commission Member, ‘Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Make Recommendations for Election Law Reforms’ of Sri Lanka, Commission Member Shri Ahmed Lebbe Mohammed. Salim, Commission Member Sushri Nimalka Fernando, Commission Member Shri Vitharanage Dipani Samantha Rodrigo, Commission Member Shri Alan Carmichael Vere Tambinayagam David and Commission Secretary Shri Madhava Devasurendra.

Chief Electoral Officer Shri Anupam Rajan honoured all the members of the International Delegation with shawl and shriphal and also presented mementos. Shri Rajan said that your hospitality has been an exciting opportunity for us. Shri Rajan told the International Delegation that on May 7, we conducted simultaneous voting till 6 pm in all urban, rural and remote areas of nine Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies. This process was completed with inclusive management. For this, a huge arrangement of human resources and logistics has to be made. Shri Rajan also apprised the delegation about the vote counting process to be held on June 4.

On this occasion, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Shri Rajesh Kaul, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Shri Manoj Khatri, Shri Basant Kurre, Shri Tarun Rathi, Shri Vivek Shrotiya and Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Shri Pramod Shukla and other officials of the Election House were also present.