India’s Chief Election Commissioner leaves for Jordan

India’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Dr. S Y Quraishi, heading a four-member delegation, Sunday embarked on a four-day official visit to Jordan. “At the invitation of the Prime Minister of Jordan, the delegation will explore modalities of supporting Jordan’s electoral process against the backdrop of political reforms taking place in Jordan and in the West Asian region,” said an official statement issued here. The major purpose of the visit is to explore the possibility of assisting Jordan in enacting an electoral law, which would ensure the highest degree of fairness and transparency of the polling process and emergence of a truly representative Parliament. The four-day visit will commence with a call on Dr. Awn Al Khasawneh, Prime Minister of Jordan, and will include meetings with Ministers of Justice, Legislation, Political Development and Parliamentary Affairs, Legal Affairs, Minister of Planning & International Cooperation, and senior officers and other stakeholders involved with the electoral reforms and the polling process. Later, PM will host a dinner for the CEC and delegation. The visit is a part of the Election Commission’s preparedness to share its professional and technical expertise with the developing countries, particularly the Arab world, in the light of developments in the region for electoral reform. In the recent past, Election Commission of India (ECI) has responded promptly and positively to requests for technical and professional assistance from its sister bodies in Tunisia, Egypt and other countries bilaterally and also under requests from UNDP in the spirit of South-South cooperation. The offer of the Commission’s experience and expertise to these countries is taking place through ECI’s new training Institute, the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).