SAARC election chiefs to meet in New Delhi

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India will host a conference of heads of election management bodies of SAARC countries in New Delhi from tomorrow till May 2 when they will focus on giving a final shape to their Forum. The setting up of such a forum of SAARC election management bodies was approved in principle at the conference held in Islamabad last year.

The three-day conference will be inaugurated by India's Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi where CEC's of Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan would also be present. Discussions will be held on empowerment of election management bodies including elections (gender issues, marginalised sections and minorities etc.), voters education, controlling money power in elections and technology for cost-effective elections, said EC's Director General Akshay Raut.

Among those who will attend the conference are chairman of the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan Fazel Ahmad Manawi, Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh C Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, Chief Election Commissioner of Bhutan Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal Neel Kantha Upreti, Commissioner, Election Commission of the Maldives Ibrahim Waheed, Member of Election Commission of Pakistan Justice (Retd) Muhammad R Essani and Commissioner of Elections in Sri Lanka Mahinda Deshapriya.