Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday began a three-day visit to Bhutan aimed at further strengthening institutional cooperation between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Election Commission of Bhutan. During the visit, Kumar is scheduled to meet Bhutan’s King and participate in events focused on democracy, electoral participation and election management.
According to an official statement, the visit is expected to build on the close and continuing engagement between the two election commissions. Kumar will meet the King of Bhutan in Thimphu as part of his programme, providing an opportunity to discuss the broader institutional relationship between the two countries in the field of electoral processes and democratic practices.
A key engagement will be Bhutan’s National Voters’ Day celebration at the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law in Paro on Tuesday. Kumar will attend the event as the Chief Guest, with the programme expected to focus on voter participation and the importance of democratic institutions. The visit will also include an interaction with senior civil servants, while Kumar is scheduled to call on Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay in Thimphu on Wednesday.
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The Election Commission of India has regularly engaged with election management bodies and other institutions in different countries to promote democratic practices and share its experience in conducting elections. The ECI’s international outreach includes programmes that provide foreign delegates with an opportunity to understand India’s electoral framework, including the use of technology and electronic voting systems.
Earlier, delegates participating in the International Election Visitors’ Programme 2026 were given a live demonstration of Electronic Voting Machines and a mock poll at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management in New Delhi. The programme provided the visiting delegates with practical exposure to India’s technology-driven electoral system and its procedures, while IIIDEM Director General Rakesh Kumar Verma underlined India’s focus on electoral integrity, inclusivity and institutional standards.
Under IEVP 2026, 43 delegates from 23 countries, including representatives of five foreign missions in Delhi, participated in the first phase of the programme. The delegates visited Assam, Kerala and Puducherry on April 8 and 9 to observe polling processes. Kumar’s Bhutan visit comes as part of India’s wider engagement with international partners on election management and democratic practices.
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