Election Commission of India Hosts AAEA Executive meet for Greater Electoral Cooperation Among Asian Countries

Election Commission of India, which is currently the Vice Chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA), hosted the Association’s Executive Board Meeting in New Delhi on 30th and 31st July, 2012. The five-member Executive Board of the 17-member AAEA meets annually to discuss important issues of collaboration in election management.

Shri V.S. Sampath, Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri H.S. Brahma, Election Commissioner and other senior officials of ECI attended the meeting besides Chairperson of the National Electoral Commission of the Republic of Korea and Chairperson, AAEA, Justice Nung-Hwan Kim who presided over the meeting. The other three Executive Board member-countries were represented by the Chief Election Commissioners of the Kazakhstan and Republic of China (Taiwan) and Commissioner of Elections from the Philippines. Besides this, Executive Secretary and officials of AAEA, and senior officials of each Executive Board member also participated.

The AAEA Board discussed the ways to strengthen the exchange of information and experience amongst member countries. The Election Bodies decided to work towards establishment of an Association of World Election Bodies, as already proposed by AAEA. The Executive Board also noted and welcomed the establishment of the Forum of Heads of Election Management Bodies of SAARC Countries with India as its first Chair. Matters relating to Financing and location of the Secretariat were also discussed. It was decided that the 2013 Executive Board meeting will be hosted by the Philippines.

India is a founding member of AAEA which was established in 1998 and currently has 17 member-countries. The organisation was conceived to promote and institutionalise open and transparent elections, independent and impartial election authorities, professionalization of Asian election authorities, citizen participation in the electoral and civic process, information sharing, and the development of resources for election-related information and research.