EC to help poll officials in Maldives for upcoming prez polls

India will extend election training and technical assistance to the Election Commission of Maldives in view of the upcoming presidential polls there later this year.
A batch of election officials from Maldives will be trained at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) next month on a range of election management issues with special focus on registration and IT.
Election and IT experts from India are scheduled to visit Maldives soon for overlooking the election preparations there.
The training activities are planned after identification of training requirements following the visit of an EC team to Maldives earlier this year. The EC officials will also help improve voter confidence and reduce poll-related complaints.

Maldives had earlier sought help of the Indian poll body. A team of EC officials has already visited the neighbouring country to study the requirements there.
The presidential elections in Maldives are scheduled on September 7.

The IIIDEM has been conducting a series of international training programmes besides meeting the vast domestic requirement in election managements.
There has been good interest among the Commonwealth countries to avail the training facility at the IIIDEM from time to time.
The EC is in discussion with the Commonwealth Secretariat for last two years regarding the training of junior-level poll officials of Commonwealth countries at IIIDEM, and modalities are being worked out with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Such training activities are funded and supported by the Union Ministry of External Affairs. The trainings have been offered under the MEA's ITEC programme and also through bilateral arrangements. The EC has already organised a course for the SAARC countries.