Proposed Election Commissioner Gurupadad Wagle States Possibility of Ensuring Voting Rights for Nepalis Abroad

Kathmandu. Proposed Election Commissioner Gurupadad Wagle has stated that it is possible to ensure voting rights for Nepali citizens living abroad in the upcoming provincial assembly elections.

During the hearing in the parliamentary hearing committee on Tuesday, he said that the commission would arrange for Nepalis living abroad to vote in the provincial assembly elections if the parliament makes the necessary laws and the government decides on an e-voting system. He emphasized the need to create the necessary legal basis through the Election Management Act, as the current law does not provide for voting arrangements for voters living abroad.

He stated that the facility to vote should be clearly stipulated in the law not only for Nepalis living abroad but also for voters residing outside their electoral constituency within the country.

He mentioned that problems might arise in the implementation of voting abroad, especially in the Gulf countries. He stated that obtaining approval from the respective country for voting through the embassy could be a challenge. In such a situation, e-voting could be an effective alternative, he said. He clarified that this would require new laws, modern technology, and skilled manpower. He stated that it would not be possible to give voting rights to citizens living abroad based on the current laws and technology.

During the hearing, Wagle also proposed five possible models for providing voting opportunities to Nepali citizens living abroad. His proposals include allowing Nepalis abroad to participate in voting through ballot boxes, postal voting, representative voting, internet voting, and mixed methods.

Speaking about the situation in the Gulf countries, he said,