KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 27
In response to whether it is possible to create a voting setting for Nepalis abroad, Nilkantha Upreti, former Chief Election Commissioner of the Election Commission, argued in an interview with The Himalayan Times that the key stakeholder in elections is the voter, who is more important than political parties because no elections can take place without voters, and granting voting rights is the most critical task.
"The Supreme Court has already issued a mandate for this, in line with the Constitution of Nepal, which states that all Nepalis must receive voting rights regardless of geography - whether in Nepal or abroad - and does not exclude Nepalis living elsewhere. The Apex Court specifically ruled that Nepalis abroad have this right," he said.
On March 21, 2018, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Purushottam Bhandari issued a directive order in the name of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and other ministries concerned, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Election Commission, regarding Nepali migrant workers' external voting rights, directing the state to make the necessary legal, logistical and technological arrangements to enable voting.
According to Upreti, all Nepalis, whether in Siberia or Mexico, live as Nepalis and have IDs and passports, making it possible to compile voter lists in today's technologically advanced world. "Technology now allows them to vote from their current location, and claiming that it is unproven is false, as approximately 50-55 countries worldwide have successfully allowed overseas citizens to register and vote in elections," he stated.
"Nepalis reside in more than 15 such countries as Nepalis. So, their voting rights must be directly granted. Since they cannot vote without being on voter lists, online registration is possible. The Election Commission tested it by opening it for five days near the deadline using national ID cards."
He further said, "Around 500,000 Nepalis (unclear if inside or outside Nepal) were registered in those five days based on national IDs. Do you know this? Nepalis living overseas can communicate via mobile with relatives like grandmothers in the hills. So if the Commission wants to inform everyone, it can extend the period to 10-15 or 20 days."
Those with access to technology, mobile phones or computers can easily register online, and this is still possible today, allowing for full participation in the elections, according to Upreti.
"Voting has become simple because many countries have implemented it, and technology has advanced to the point where elections are held in various nations," he emphasised. "The recent election in the Philippines serves as a good example, and Estonia, a small country, has already done so using online methods," he added.
"The countries that use i-voting (internet voting) have stopped printing ballots. They allow voting from home through the internet without going to polling stations, meeting parties or checks. Virtually, one can vote on main servers with backups for trust, electronically creating polling stations as per requirement. Nepal requires approximately 22,000 to 25,000 booths for its country," he said.
"A resident of Siberia, a voter from Taplejung, or elsewhere, can vote from there for their own area's candidates or parties. Counting occurs automatically on servers after the button is pressed, with results available by evening; no need for manual counting, police or personnel."
He suggested, "With such facilities, making laws, updating voter lists and holding elections is simple for Nepalis all over the world, import existing technology, bring experts, use local ones, train Nepalis and then proceed. Delaying elections by one month is no big deal, but not doing so causes massive damage."
