India, Indonesia Sign Election Cooperation Pact; New Delhi To Help Develop Customised EVMs

Jakarta: India and Indonesia on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a focus on cooperation in election management during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to the Southeast Asian country. India ageed to assist Indonesia in developing customised Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).Addressing a joint press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, PM Modi underscored the democratic synergy between the two nations.“Democratic values and unity in diversity have been shared strengths for both India and Indonesia. We are set to further strengthen our democratic cooperation through an MoU between the Election Commissions of both nations,” the Prime Minister said. “Cooperation between India and Indonesia on global

issues is also steadily growing. There is synergy in our outlook regarding the Indo-Pacific as well. India has always attached special importance to ASEAN centrality,” the Prime Minister added.

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As part of the agreement, India will assist Indonesia in developing customised Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), supporting the country's shift from its paper ballot-based voting system to digital elections ahead of the 2029 polls.Delegations from the two nations have undertaken mutual visits to study India's EVM architecture, electoral supervision processes, voter education efforts, and digital solutions supporting democratic governance.Notably, Bhutan, Nepal, and Namibia are already using India’s election model. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reportedly signed cooperation agreements with election management bodies of 28 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Chile, Fiji, Mexico and South Africa, among others, and three international organisations.Bhutan was the first country to adopt customised Indian EVMs with technical assistance from India. Nepal also received customised machines for pilot use along with institutional support.(With inputs from ANI, PTI))