Itanagar, January 21, 2026: The Arunachal Pradesh team played a leading role at the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 by steering the thematic session on “Political Parties and Candidates,” which concluded on a highly productive note.
The three-day global conference, being organised from January 21 to 23 in New Delhi by the Election Commission of India in collaboration with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), has brought together nearly 100 international delegates from election management bodies of over 43 countries, along with representatives from international organisations, foreign missions and academic institutions.
The session on “Political Parties and Candidates” was initiated and moderated by Pawan Kumar Sain, IAS, Chief Electoral Officer of Arunachal Pradesh. He provided a contextual overview of the theme and outlined its key dimensions, while ensuring a smooth and engaging flow of discussions among the panellists.
The session featured a series of expert presentations offering global and national perspectives. Anne Marel Linger, Member of the OKB, Suriname, spoke on comparative political party frameworks and candidate engagement practices, highlighting best practices and lessons for emerging democracies. This was followed by Masego Sheburi, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer of South Africa, who shared insights into the functioning of political parties within South Africa’s electoral system, with emphasis on transparency and inclusiveness in candidate selection.
From the Indian academic perspective, Nani Bath, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi University, analysed the evolution, organisational dynamics and contemporary challenges faced by political parties in India’s multiparty democracy. Vishakha Yadav, IAS, shared field-level experiences from Arunachal Pradesh, shedding light on ground realities and the adaptation of election management systems to local contexts.
The session concluded with an in-depth presentation by Ashutosh Kumar, who elaborated on the Model Code of Conduct, describing it as the cornerstone of electoral checks and balances and explaining its enforcement mechanisms in ensuring free and fair elections.
ALSO READ: Arunachal Pradesh Team Leads Key Session at IICDEM 2026 in New Delhi
An interactive question-and-answer session followed, during which participants engaged actively with the panellists. The thematic session concluded with participants expressing that they benefited significantly from the diverse perspectives and practical insights shared.
The Arunachal Pradesh delegation was led by Pawan Kumar Sain and included Liken Koyu, APCS; Shania Kayem Mize, APCS; Prof. Nani Bath; Advocate Nani Anju, Legal Counsel; and National Level Master Trainers Ms. Rosalind Pertin, Dr. Sunand Sinha and Ms. Ripi Doni.
Simultaneously, several other thematic sessions were held at the conference, with Chief Electoral Officers and moderators facilitating discussions on a range of contemporary electoral issues.
