The govt and the EC have failed to ensure the voting right of the Nepali migrant workers
The November 20 general elections held for the House of Representatives and provincial assemblies were held in a peaceful and fair manner, barring sporadic incidents of violence, such as booth capturing and voter intimidation, in some districts. Counting of the ballot papers is also being held swiftly in the urban and accessible areas. Various national and international observers have said the general elections were held generally in a peaceful and fair manner.
The culture of election was being institutionalised because of the Election Commission's strict Code of Conduct, which discouraged the political parties and their candidates from spreading disinformation against rival candidates and put a cap on the election expenses. The two-week time given to the political parties for campaigning also played a major role in reducing the election expenses. According to the Election Commission (EC), more than 7,000 observers – both national and international –were selected to observe the election. Representatives of 18 foreign diplomatic missions in Nepal had also monitored the election on the voting day. Voters' identity cards issued to the voters also played a role in making the election free, fair and impartial as there was no room for casting votes in another's name. The observers also found the behaviour of the political parties, candidates and voters more patient, calm and cooperative this time compared to the past.
The EC's Central Election Monitoring Committee took prompt and strong legal action against those flouting the election code as some of the persons were fined promptly for violating it.
Such action helped stop unethical acts by the candidates.
A large number of security personnel were mobilised across the country to see to it that the general election was held in a peaceful manner. The best part of this year's election was that the candidates did not have to spend unnecessarily as they did not have more time for canvassing. The voters were also highly conscious about the candidates they were going to vote for because of the electronic gadget and social networking sites, which familiarized them with the candidates and the political parties.
But what was lacking in this election was the absence of the electronic voting system, which is widely used in most democracies. The political parties and the government itself were not ready to introduce the electronic voting machine, which could have made the election process more economical and vote counting easier than the ballot paper, which is more expensive and time consuming while counting the votes. The government and the EC also failed to ensure the voting right of the Nepali migrant workers.
Despite the Supreme Court's order to ensure the voting right for the migrant workers, the government did not enact a law enabling them to take part in the voting process from abroad. The next parliament, which will sit after the election results are all out, should consider formulating a law in this regard so that the migrant workers could exercise their franchise during the next elections from the countries where they are working. Democracy will become more mature and institutionalised if every eligible citizen is allowed to exercise his or her voting right.
IPO investment
In what is a positive move, migrant Nepali workers will now be entitled to invest in the domestic stock market. The provision to reserve 10 per cent of the IPOs (initial public offering) for foreign Nepali workers is expected to increase both investment and investors in the stock market. Towards that end, the Central Depository System and Clearing Ltd. has begun sending the necessary documents and forms to the banks for the distribution of customer relationship numbers (CRN) to their customers. Migrant workers can now contact the banks and make a request for the CRNs and invest in the IPOs as and when they are issued to the public.
There are millions of Nepali workers working mainly in Malaysia, the Gulf countries and South Korea, and they remit billions of dollars annually back home, which have so far helped prop up the Nepali economy. It is thus only right that their contribution in sustaining the economy is recognised by setting aside 10 per cent of all IPOs for them. However, the few IPOs issued so far have been those of financial institutions and hydropower only and will need to include agro and industrial ventures for investments to make an impact on the overall economy.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 25, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
