About half of Nepal’s voters will not be able to cast their votes in local polls

31-05-2022

Cristina Nicoleta Niculae

Nepal and Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence

Despite the Supreme Court’s order recognising that all Nepali citizens shall enjoy their right to vote, the government was not able to enforce the judicial decision. According to Khim Lal Devkota, a constituent member of Assembly, about 6.5 million voters were deprived of their right to vote in the local elections held on May 13. 

Estimates draw an even gloomier picture: twenty per cent of the total population living abroad (which accounts to about 6 million voters) along with an extra 260,000 security personnel and 300,000 staff have been deprived of their right to vote. Nearly fifty per cent of the eligible voters were not able to enjoy their right to vote. Considering that 137 out of 204 countries have made arrangements to make it possible for voters to exercise their right outside the country, the government of Nepal could have followed this example and made the necessary arrangements to allow citizens abroad to participate through online voting, early voting and postal voting. 

Devkota also stressed that there is an urgent need for studying the issue in detail and amending the law as soon as possible. He criticised the government for not amending the law following the Supreme Court’s decision from five years ago, and added that it was quite disappointing to see 6.5 million voters disenfranchised. He further said that arrangements could have been made to avoid this situation and that the government should make more efforts to ensure the people’s right to vote.

Source and further reading:

My Republica. (May 10, 2022). About half of Nepal’s voters will not be able to cast their votes in local polls. My Republica. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/about-half-of-nepal-s-voters-will-not-be-able-to-cast-their-votes-in-local-polls/