KATHMANDU, July 6: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel has said that Nepali citizens living abroad will not be able to vote in the upcoming election scheduled for March 5.
Speaking on Tuesday at Nagarik Frontline, Minister Kharel said that although discussions were held with political parties regarding overseas voting and the “no-vote” option, it would not be possible to implement them in this election.
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According to Minister Kharel, the government consulted top political parties and the Election Commission on voting rights for Nepalis living abroad and other alternative voting mechanisms. However, senior political leaders advised against introducing new rules, saying the election process had already begun.
“Top leaders of the major political parties clearly told us that once the game has started, the rules should not be changed,” Minister Kharel said. “After receiving the suggestion not to change either the legal framework or the technology at this stage, and instead prepare for the next election, the government decided to conduct the March 5 election under the existing system.”
Minister Kharel said that despite the government’s strong desire to grant voting rights to Nepalis working abroad—who continue to hold Nepali citizenship and passports—the plan had to be postponed this time due to legal and technical complexities.
“Nepalis whose homes are in Nepal and whose remittances keep the country running should have the right to vote. This is also the mandate of the Gen Z movement,” Minister Kharel said. “We even discussed with technical teams whether e-voting would be possible. However, we concluded that it cannot be done hastily. The government is now preparing to move forward only after establishing a strong legal framework.”
