Nepalis living abroad, according to two general ministers, should granted right to vote

KATHMANDU: The two general secretaries have drawn the attention of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to make provisions for granting voting rights to Nepalis living abroad.

Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma of the Nepali Congress met with Prime Minister Deuba and proposed that Nepalis living abroad be granted the right to vote. Thapa and Sharma, who arrived at the PM’s residence in Baluwatar on Monday, stated that the implementation of the Supreme Court decision should begin at the time of the Congress leadership.

They emphasized the importance of the government taking the initiative to make arrangements for Nepalis living abroad to vote in the upcoming House of Representatives and State Council elections. He stated that the Supreme Court decision had been made for a long time and that the Congress-led government should implement it as soon as possible.

On Tuesday, the two general ministers will meet with Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya to bring the issue to his attention. A few days ago, the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) held a program in which they discussed the voting rights of Nepalis living abroad.

The Supreme Court has ruled that Nepalis, regardless of the constituency, have the constitutional right to vote in Nepal’s parliamentary and state assembly elections.