<br/>Political leaders from across the spectrum will be present at today's Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Election Commission to hail the contribution of an institution. The commission strived to keep the purity of the election process in the world's largest democracy.<br/><br/>The President Mrs Pratibha Patil will kick off the year-long celebrations at a function in New Delhi to commemorate the institution that was established a day before India became Republic on January 26, 1950.<br/><br/>The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, BJP President Nitin Gadkari, senior BJP leader L K Advani, Left leaders Prakash Karat and A B Bardhan besides several Union ministers will be present on the occasion.<br/><br/>Nearly 40 heads of electoral bodies from across the globe, majority of them from the Commonwealth countries, including South Asian nations have been invited. Commission sources said that representatives from all SAARC countries except Sri Lanka and 80 envoys have already accepted the invitation.<br/><br/>According to the Chief Election Commissioner Mr. Navin Chawala there has been a traditional continuity of good practices followed in the Commission in the last 60 years and he wanted them to be continued. A commemorative stamp will be released on the occasion.<br/>