India to Chair Global Democratic Body International IDEA for First Time

India has been invited to chair the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) for the first time. CEC Gyanesh Kumar will assume the role in 2026, marking global recognition of India's free and fair elections.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday highlighted global recognition of India's electoral process, noting that the country has been invited for the first time to chair the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), a group comprising 37 democratic nations.

A Moment of Immense Pride

Emphasising the significance of this development, he said, "The world recognises the successful conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in India. Therefore, for the first time in its history of 30 years, the group of 37 democratic countries of the world have invited India to chair the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, International IDEA. This is a moment of immense pride for the citizens of India and all the Election Commission officials."

Building on this acknowledgment, the Election Commission of India noted that Gyanesh Kumar is set to assume the Chairship of the International IDEA on December 3, 2026, in Stockholm, Sweden, on behalf of India, as per an official release.

About International IDEA

International IDEA, established in 1995, is an inter-governmental organisation with a current membership of 35 countries, while the United States and Japan participate as Observers. The organisation has also held observer status in the UN General Assembly since 2003.

India's Electoral Scale within the Grouping

Further underscoring India's long-standing association, the release stated that India is a founding member of International IDEA and has participated actively in governance processes, electoral research, capacity-building initiatives and training programmes.

As the world's largest democracy with more than 90 crore electors, India will leverage its extensive experience in electoral administration when it assumes the Chairship of International IDEA for 2026, contributing to the strengthening of Election Management Bodies across the world.

In this backdrop, India represents the largest share of registered electors among the organisation's 35 member and 2 observer democracies. India leads with 991 million registered electors, accounting for 44.5 per cent of the total electorate of 2,225,549,481 (222.5 crore). The United States follows with 234,504,358 registered electors, while Indonesia ranks third with 204,421,612 electors. Brazil (155,557,422), Japan (103,880,749), Mexico (98,214,289) and the Philippines (68,431,965) also feature among the major contributors to the overall voter base. Other member democracies include Germany (60,490,603), France (43,328,470), Spain (37,647,458), Canada (28,525,638) and South Africa (27,782,081). Smaller democracies such as Luxembourg (286,711), Cabo Verde (392,899) and Barbados (266,330) fall at the lower end of the list. Several others, including Peru, Ghana, Australia, Chile, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Tunisia, Sweden, Benin, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Costa Rica, Panama, Uruguay, Mongolia, Namibia, Botswana, Mauritius and Estonia, also contribute to the overall electorate.

Overall, the figures highlight India's significant share in the global democratic landscape within the International IDEA grouping, underscoring its electoral scale ahead of assuming the Chairship in 2026. (ANI)

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