Ban viewing Indian elections with "great" interest

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is viewing India's general elections that began today with "great interest" and hopes that the polls, considered one of the largest democratic exercises in the world, are conducted peacefully and successfully.
"The Secretary General is viewing the (Indian) elections with great interest. Of course, this is regularly one of the largest election exercises in the entire world. We hope it will go through peacefully and successfully," Ban's spokesperson Farhan Haq told PTI when asked about the elections in the world's largest democracy.
The first phase of the polls began today in the country's northeast region.

About 815 million people are registered to vote over the next five weeks in the world's largest democratic elections that will be conducted in nine phases and would conclude on May 12.
The results of the elections, which will decide who will head the new government in the country, are expected by May 16.