Chairperson of Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) Glen Mashanini has lauded the work of the Election Commission of India (ECI) for instance for the complete world.
Mashanini was talking at a seminar on Tuesday on the places of work of Indian Consul General in Johannesburg Anju Ranjan and High Commissioner Jaideep Sarkar in Pretoria.
Ranjan mentioned the occasion, titled ‘Story of World’s Largest Democracy’s Elections’, was deliberate to happen to mark India’s Constitution Day on November 26, however needed to be postponed as a result of essential audio system being unavailable due to prior commitments.
“India’s story is not just about the world’s largest elections but also the story of an ancient civilisation that got disrupted by imperialism and colonialism,” Mashanini mentioned.
“(Seventy-five years in the past) India embraced the fashionable, modern rules of constitutional democracy which the electoral fee is carrying, to today, the actual baton with distinction.
“The ECI provides the fountain of knowledge, understanding, and experience for all of us as electoral management bodies that are serving throughout the world,” he mentioned.
Highlighting the roles of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in main folks to combat colonialism, racism and apartheid, Mashanini mentioned each nations had triumphed over these evil practices to have constitutional democracies right now.
“South Africa remains indebted for the support that India, one of the biggest, oldest and strongest democracies, has given to our struggle to end apartheid and to the national project to deepen and strengthen democracy,” he added.
Mashanini mentioned the Constitution of South Africa, which was praised by the world, included classes from India.
Umesh Sinha, ECI Secretary General, offered an summary of how India carried out elections to make sure its aim of leaving no voter behind.
Sinha mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic had compelled a assessment of processes to incorporate postal ballots for the primary time.
Chief Election Commissioner of India Sushil Chandra gave examples of how electoral officers travelled for 4 days to achieve a single voter in a distant space, traversing forest and trekking over mountainous terrain to stay as much as its motto of guaranteeing each voter’s proper.
Chandra, who can also be the president of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), mentioned India’s relations with South Africa was distinctive as he recalled the shut relationship between the IEC and the ECI, in addition to his private interplay with Mashanini, who’s the present Vice President of A-WEB.
Mashanini mentioned he was trying ahead to South Africa internet hosting the subsequent gathering of A-WEB in 2022, and India handing over the Presidency to his nation.