India to tutor Pak on free poll practices

Pakistan Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) Justice Hamid Ali Mirza, who is among several electoral officers invited to Election Commission’s diamond jubilee celebrations to be held from January 25, has requested for a bilateral meeting with election commissioners. And commission has agreed to hold  the interaction on January 28. “The commission has agreed to hold bilateral talks. Several delegations have also requested for sharing the Indian experience and processes of poll management,” Akshay Raut, EC’s Director-General (Information, Education and Communication), said while briefing reporters on the three-day programme to be inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will also attend the function on the opening day.

Nearly 40 delegates from across the globe, a majority of them  from Commonwealth nations, have agreed to attend the functions, he said.

Representative from all SAARC countries, besides those from the United States and Russia, will also participate in the functions. The President will release a commemorative stamp on the occasion. The Vice-President will release a 250-page on “Reinforcing Indian Democracy - Lok Sabha Election 2009.”