Supreme Court filed a directive order to the government for guaranteeing voting rights for Nepalis abroad four years ago.
The government still hasn’t done anything about it, even a draft of a new election bill to ensure voting rights hasn’t been made.
Supreme Court had issued a directive order in 2018 which stated that it was the duty of the government to enable the voting rights of the citizens living in Nepal or Abroad. Advocate Prem Chandra Rai stated this in an order passed in a case filed against the government and the Election Commission.
Division bench of Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Purushottam Bhandari dismissed Rai’s petition but they have issued directive orders to the government. The Supreme Court has ordered the government to register a bill immediately, guaranteeing the voting rights of people living abroad.
Although the petitioner Rai had demanded external voting only for migrant labourers, the government needs to ensure the voting rights of all Nepalis living abroad, including students, people in business and workers of INGOs, stated the Supreme court.
Ram Prasad Bhandari, an Election Commissioner said the EC is ready to implement the court order but the government had not passed laws to ensure the voting rights of Nepali living abroad.
