"This initiative is a tangible illustration of how important well-managed and credible elections are to the Commonwealth, which has democracy as one of its core values" - Amitav Banerji, Director of Political Affairs, Commonwealth Secretariat
Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri V S Sampath,
Commissioners and other officers of the Election Commission of India,
Deputy High Commissioner of Australia, Mr Bernard Philip,
Distinguished trainees from election management bodies from across the Commonwealth,
Ladies and gentlemen,
A very warm welcome to this, the ‘pilot’ training event of the Commonwealth Junior Election Professionals Initiative.
I convey the greetings and good wishes of the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr Kamalesh Sharma. He has taken a particular interest in this initiative, and wishes this training event well and all of the trainees well as you progress in your careers.
I must begin by conveying our warmest appreciation to the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) and the Election Commission of India for their support in hosting this pilot event. We are particularly honoured to have with us the Chief Election Commissioner himself, which is a manifestation of the deep commitment of the Commission to promoting electoral democracy in the Commonwealth and to making this training programme for election professionals a success.
A great deal of hard work has gone into developing both the training programme and administrative arrangements for this pilot event – my grateful thanks go to Mr Akshay Rout and his team for their unflagging commitment and support in this regard.
India is one of the founder members of the Commonwealth and we are proud to have in our ranks this, the world’s largest, democracy. For most external observers, the thought that over 780 million people can go to the polls and exercise their franchise, and have results declared within hours of the commencement of counting of votes, is truly mind-boggling.
Likewise, the Election Commission of India is globally held as an exemplar as a national election management body, especially in terms of its independence and integrity.
It is therefore highly appropriate that this pilot training event should take place here in India.
I wish to convey my thanks also to the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) for their financial support to this important initiative. Without the help of AusAID, this programme would not have been possible. I recognise the presence of the Australian Deputy High Commissioner in this context, but also because Australia is currently the Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth.
I also welcome our Commonwealth experts, Mr Timothy Sheehy and Mr Rodney Medew. I know they, together with the resource persons from the host country, have much to offer you in terms of their experience and insight into the issues that you will be discussing this week.
This initiative is a tangible illustration of how important well-managed and credible elections are to the Commonwealth, which has democracy as one of its core values.
The theme of your discussions, ‘The role of technology in election management’, is, of course, increasingly relevant and important. In today’s world, it can be tempting to see technology as the answer to everything – it is important to remember, however, that technology is a tool and not an end in itself; it is a means to help us deliver more transparent, more credible, and more inclusive elections across the Commonwealth.
Many of the participants in this programme have come long distances to be here. It is heartening to see gathered here a group so representative of our Commonwealth family. You represent 23 different Commonwealth election management bodies, drawn from all corners of the Commonwealth.
I wish you every success in this training programme, and very much look forward to learning the outcomes of your discussions. I charge you to take your learning and the insights gained back to your election management bodies and, just as importantly, to keep the connections and friendships you make this week alive as you progress in your respective careers - these are the bonds that define the Commonwealth family and that will be of abiding relevance and importance.
Thank you.
