Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) India and South Africa Tuesday decided to cooperate on election administration, management and reforms.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on this by India’s Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi and South Africa’s Electoral Commission Chairperson Brigalia Bam. Election Commissioners V.S. Sampath and H.S. Brahma were also present on the occasion.

Under the agreement, both countries also decided to exchange officers to enhance their experience in electoral management and administration.

Both are to promote and implement educational research and training programmes in this area.

Bam, who is visiting India to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two commissions, is accompanied by her Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Mosotho Moepya.

The two election commissioners also held bilateral discussions and explored ways of working jointly to promote participatory democracy and best electoral processes in other countries, particularly in Africa, according to a statement issued here.

They also discussed the possibility to train electoral officials and other stakeholders at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, it said.

At the occasion, Bam said the partnership between the two Commissions will benefit the whole of Africa, besides further cementing the historic relations between the two countries.

“She underlined the respect that the Indian Election Commission has earned for its independent functioning,” the statement added.

Election Commission has so far signed eleven MOUs with election management bodies globally - seven in the past one year.

These countries are Brazil, Russia, Nepal, Chile, Indonesia, Bhutan and South Africa.