Gyanesh Kumar Becomes President of International IDEA

Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner of India, has assumed the presidency of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for 2026. He took over the position during an event held in Stockholm, Sweden. In his address, Gyanesh Kumar emphasized his commitment to strengthening democracy and democratic processes with transparency, with the support of democratic nations worldwide during his tenure as president.

Present at the event was India’s Ambassador to Sweden, Anurag Bhushan. Gyanesh Kumar mentioned that as the representative of the world’s largest democracy, India, he would begin his address by highlighting India’s democratic values. He added, “India is the birthplace of democracy and also the largest democracy in the world. The Election Commission of India is a constitutional body responsible for organizing elections for the President, Vice President, Rajya Sabha, and State Assemblies.”