Free, fair and periodic elections are one of the most important elements for strengthening democracy. For an election to be free and fair, certain civil liberties, such as the freedoms of speech, association and assembly, are required. Elections play a critical role in political transitions by advancing democratization and encouraging political liberalization. They also help to promote peaceful, democratic political transformation that lead to increased stability and prosperity. Franchise is one of the most important rights of a citizen in a democracy.

KATHMANDU, Oct 26: A total of 21 political parties are participating in Kathmandu constituency no. 1 for the upcoming House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections to be held on November 20.

LONDON – Sinn Féin’s success in Ireland’s February 8 general election, where it headed the poll, has come as a shock, owing to the party’s historic ties to the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and that organization’s association with violence. The cause of its success was domestic discontent, not nationalist fervor. Nevertheless, Sinn Féin’s victory will put Irish unity—and thus the future of Northern Ireland’s inclusion in the United Kingdom—firmly on the agenda.

LONDON – With Brexit dominating the United Kingdom’s agonizing general election this month, a number of momentous policy proposals have received little to no discussion. Chief among these is right-wing Conservatives’ plan to abolish the UK Department for International Development. Now that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has secured a parliamentary majority, the DFID could soon be subsumed into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which would then take charge of administering Britain’s £14 billion ($18.6 billion) annual aid budget.

NEW DELHI: From just two in the 1984 general elections to winning 303 seats in the 2019 elections, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has established itself as India’s undisputed political force.

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NEW DELHI, May 23: India began counting hundreds of millions of votes in its general election on Thursday, with a coalition led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party already preparing to form the next government.

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NEW DELHI, May 8: With India’s general election inching toward the finish line, the battle for one seat in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh is being closely watched to see whether the scion of the country’s most important modern political dynasty can retain his seat and revive his party’s fortunes.

SRINAGAR, April 18: Voting began in the second phase of India’s general elections Thursday amid massive security and a lockdown in parts of the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

NEW DELHI, April 11: India’s mammoth general election began on Thursday, with people starting to line up outside polling stations in the world’s biggest democratic exercise that will be carried out in seven phases.

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NEW DELHI, March 6: Indian opposition parties are launching a united attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what they see as his politicization of the armed forces as he tries to ride a patriotic wave into a second term in office at a general election.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will fall short of a majority in parliament after the April-May general election, according to a Mood of the Nation survey.

LONDON, Sept 23: British opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said on the eve of his party’s annual conference that he would challenge the UK Cabinet on any deal on Brexit, calling for a general election if the body failed to comply.