July 21, Kathmandu – The demand and debate over granting voting rights to Nepalis living abroad or NRNs, is not new. However, political parties have so far been unable to give the government clear guidance on when and how to implement it.

On Monday, Prime Minister Sushila Karki held an all-party discussion to deliberate on allowing migrant Nepalis to vote. At the meeting held at the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office in Singha Durbar, the Ministry of Home Affairs presented that it is drafting laws on three key points. The third point concerned the provision for “no vote” on ballots.

According to the Home Ministry’s presentation, the government plans to amend four election-related acts to address these three issues. The draft bills have been approved by the Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Finance before returning to the Home Ministry.

The proposed bills include provisions for granting voting rights to Nepalis living abroad and allowing Nepali missions overseas to serve as polling stations. For those in Nepal who cannot reach their registered polling centers, there is a provision to vote from another constituency. The bills also propose a “no vote” option on ballots for any candidate a voter chooses not to support.

Participants in the discussion did not oppose these proposals. However, opinions diverged on whether these measures could be implemented in time for the election scheduled for March 5.

Parties expressed theoretical agreement on migrant voting, cross-constituency voting, and the “no vote” option. Yet, they also pointed out practical difficulties in implementing these provisions for the March 5 polls. Youth leaders and other stakeholders emphasized that reforms highlighted by the Gen Z movement should be applied in the upcoming election

From the Nepali Congress, Deputy General Secretary Mahendra Yadav attended the all-party discussion. He advised the government to prioritize a free and fair election as its main goal.

Highlighting that migrant voting, inter-constituency voting, and the “no vote” option are collective responsibilities, Yadav noted, “While the proposed measures are good, the timeline does not allow us to implement them by March 5.”

He added that since everyone—including youth, political parties, and the public—wants development and good governance, the government should smoothly conduct the elections and step down afterwards. “Elections must be held within six months so that the new parliament is in place. Then, the legacies of the President and Prime Minister can be evaluated,” he said.

Former Congress lawmaker Radheshyam Adhikari advised the government not to try to implement new provisions in the March 5 election. “All three proposed issues must be addressed through legislation.

This may be the outcome of the agreement with Gen Z and can be referenced in the future. But it is impossible to apply all three on March 5,” Adhikari said, citing the short timeframe. He added, “With less than three months until the election, the government must not disrupt the rules of the game.” He warned that any forced attempt to push these measures forward would fail.

People’s News Monitoring Service

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