International participants for the general election for the Bihar Legislative Assembly being briefed by election officials about the EVM and VVPAT machines during the IEVP (ANI image)

NEW DELHI: Officials from seven countries including France, South Africa and Belgium will witness polling in Bihar on Nov 6 as part of the Election Commission’s international election visitors programme (IEVP).As many as 14 participants from France, South Africa, Belgium, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Colombia attended the inaugural session of the programme at the India International Institute for Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) here, ahead of their two-day visit to Bihar starting Wednesday. Polling across 121 of Bihar’s total 243 assembly constituencies will be conducted on Thursday. During the inaugural session here on Tuesday, the international delegates were given a demonstration of EVM operation, followed by a presentation by senior EC officers on various aspects including preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of polls.On their two-day visit to Bihar, the participants will visit the EVM dispatch centres and witness actual polling on Nov 6.IEVP is a flagship program of EC for international cooperation and engagement with the election management bodies (EMBs) of other countries and international organisations.Since 2014, the IEVP has been showcasing the strengths of India’s electoral system to the international community and sharing the best practices adopted here, for conduct of elections.