KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 10

The government has begun consultations with experts and stakeholders on enabling Nepali citizens living abroad to exercise their voting rights remotely in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5, 2026.

A discussion was held in Kathmandu under the joint coordination of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, in collaboration with the Nepal Policy Institute (NPI). The consultation focused on the use of new technology to facilitate voting for overseas citizens, along with the legal, technical, and security considerations required to implement such a system.

During the dicussion, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal said the government is committed to ensuring that all Nepali citizens, both at home and abroad, can exercise their constitutional right to vote. 'We are carefully studying which technological model would be most reliable, secure, and feasible for Nepal's context,' Minister Aryal said, adding that further consultations are underway before finalizing the modality.

Former Chief Election Commissioner Nilkantha Upreti highlighted the need to move forward in line with the changing political context and the public aspirations following the Gen-Z movement. He urged the Election Commission and the Law Ministry to adopt modern voting technologies that would allow all Nepalis, inside and outside the country, to participate in the democratic process.

Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Kumar Sinha underscored the importance of making any technological system citizen-friendly and transparent, while also raising public awareness about its secure and responsible use.

Presenting a policy brief, 'Materializing External Voting for Nepali Citizens Abroad in 2026 and beyond', NPI Chair Dr. Khagendra Raj Dhakal said countries such as the Philippines and Mexico have successfully implemented overseas voting systems that Nepal could adapt in the near term. 'Given Nepal's migration patterns and socio-economic realities, these models offer tested pathways to ensure participation of overseas citizens as early as 2026,' he said.

Dr. Dhakal noted that a large share of Nepali migrants are youth who contribute nearly one-third of the country's GDP through remittances, yet remain deprived of their democratic right to vote. 'Excluding these economic heroes from shaping Nepal's political future weakens not only the legitimacy of elections but also the essence of democracy itself,' he added.

Concluding the presentation, Dr. Dhakal recommended that the government adopt an i-Voting system, covering both Proportional Representation (PR) and First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) categories, using secure technologies and remote voter registration mechanisms.

The NPI further emphasized that the Constitution of Nepal (2015) guarantees voting rights to all citizens, and urged the government to seize this election as an opportunity to promote inclusive democratic participation.

Dr. Dhakal was joined by a team of experts for the presentation, including Sharu Joshi Shrestha, an NPI Executive Member; Former Chief Election Commissioner Neelkantha Upreti; advocates Aastha Dahal, Atit Koirala, and Bhupal Dhakal; and youth activist Sagar Dhakal.

The three-hour interactive session was attended by senior officials from the Home and Law Ministries, along with the Home Minister, Law Minister, and a representative from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.