EC initiates discussions for granting voting rights to Nepalis residing abroad

Kathmandu / Feb 9: The Election Commission (EC) has initiated discussions on the prospect of granting voting rights to Nepalis residing abroad for the upcoming elections. The EC convened an all-party meeting on Friday to discuss the registration and procedures for collecting the voters’ list of Nepali citizens residing overseas.

Manish Mishra, secretary of the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, said that the EC informed parties of the ongoing preparations to enable Nepali citizens living abroad to exercise their voting rights in the upcoming elections scheduled for 2084 BS.

To facilitate this, the EC has proposed that only Nepalis residing abroad who have not renounced their Nepali citizenship and have not acquired dual citizenship, diversity visa (DV), or permanent residency (PR) will be eligible for inclusion in the voters’ list. The Constitution of Nepal ensures only social and cultural rights to non-resident Nepalis who hold foreign citizenship or permanent residency permits.