The Election Commission of India recently inaugurated the 11th Annual meeting of the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) for the year 2021. This forum, which was created at the 3rd Conference of Heads of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Countries in 2012, plays a key role in maintaining mutual cooperation in respect to the common interests of the SAARC’s EMBs.
Highlights of the Meeting
The 2021 FEMBoSA meeting was hosted by the Election Commission of Bhutan. The Election Commission of India handed over the chairmanship of FEMBoSA to the Election Commission of Bhutan for the 2021-22 period. This is a significant development as the tenure of the chairmanship, which was previously one year, has been extended to two years due to the current pandemic situation. This change was embodied in the Thimphu Resolution, which was unanimously adopted by the FEMBoSA members.
The Role of Technology in Elections
The theme of the 2021 meeting was ‘Use of Technology in Elections’. With the increasing digitalization of various sectors, technology has played a crucial role in making elections more participative, accessible and transparent. Its importance has been further underscored during the Covid 19 pandemic as it has helped minimize person-to-person contact during electoral processes.
About FEMBoSA
FEMBoSA was established in 2012 and comprises eight member states: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It serves as a regional cooperation association of EMBs, representing a substantial portion of the democratic world. The golden pearls in its logo symbolize the eternal values of transparency, impartiality, democracy, and cooperation.
The Election Commission of India (ECI)
The ECI is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India. It controls elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the offices of the President and Vice President. The ECI was established according to the Constitution on 25th January 1950.
Constitutional Provisions
Part XV of the Indian constitution deals with elections and sets forth a commission for these matters. Articles 324 to 329 detail the powers, functions, tenure, eligibility, among other aspects of the commission and its members. Article 324 specifically provides for the appointment of an Election Commission to superintend, direct, and control elections.
Structure
Initially, the commission consisted of only one election commissioner, but the Election Commissioner Amendment Act 1989 made it a multi-member body. The commission now includes one Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs). The secretariat of the commission is located in New Delhi.
