Kathmandu, September 5, 2024—President Ram Chandra Paudel held a courtesy meeting with the heads of election management bodies from South Asia on September 5, 2024. The meeting saw the participation of Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya of Nepal, Chief Election Commissioner Dasho Sonam Tobgay of Bhutan, Chairperson of the Election Commission Fuad Thaufeeq of the Maldives, Chairman of the Election Commission R.M.A.L. Rathnayake of Sri Lanka, and Deputy Election Commissioner Nitesh Vyas of India, along with other high-ranking officials.

During the interaction, President Paudel emphasized that periodic elections are the foundation of democracy and stressed the importance of holding free, fair, and transparent elections. He also expressed satisfaction with the growing cooperation among election management bodies in South Asia through the Forum of Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA).

On the occasion, Nepal’s Chief Election Commissioner, Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, briefed the president on the discussions held during the 12th FEMBoSA conference, highlighting that Nepal has taken over the chairmanship of the forum from this conference. Similarly, the election chiefs from Bhutan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and the Deputy Election Commissioner of India shared their views, calling the conference productive and beneficial.