Strengthening global democratic ties, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar engaged in fruitful discussions with Costa Rica’s Ambassador to India. The strategic meeting at the EC’s Nirvachan Sadan office focused on sharing electoral strategies and addressing contemporary challenges.
Kumar outlined India’s unparalleled scale of elections, from EVM security protocols to real-time result transmission, impressing the delegation. In return, the ambassador detailed Costa Rica’s journey towards paperless voting and community-driven poll management, free from military interference for decades.
Key takeaways included potential collaborations on AI-driven voter analytics and anti-disinformation campaigns. Both sides acknowledged the threats posed by fake news and cyber interference, pledging to explore joint training modules for election officials.
This comes at a juncture when India’s Election Commission is scaling up its international presence. Post the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which saw record participation, the EC has positioned itself as a knowledge hub, attracting peers from across continents.
Analysts predict this could lead to observer exchanges during upcoming elections in both countries. Kumar’s vision of a ‘Global Electoral Alliance’ gained traction, with Costa Rica expressing keen interest.
Wrapping up, the leaders affirmed that robust democracies thrive on shared learning. This interaction not only enriches policy frameworks but also fosters people-to-people connections in electoral governance.