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Supreme Court moved for 'right to reject'

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KATHMANDU, Oct 27: With only 23 days remaining for Constituent Assembly elections to take place, Advocates Swagat Nepal and Bhairaja Rai have filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court (SC) against the government, clamoring for negative voting rights on Sunday.



Advocate Nepal, who is associated with Movement against Crime and Terrorism (MACAT), said “We have filed a writ petition against the government to ensure the voters´ right to reject the election candidates in line with the spirit of the Preamble of the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2063 BS.” [break]



He further said the SC must issue a stay order to stop the ongoing process of printing ballot papers immediately and and allow the Election Commission to design a new one with a box where voters can cast their votes against the candidates they dislike.







MACAT Nepal (macatnepal.org)



The writ petitioners have maintained that those who want to take part in the electoral process but do not wish to vote for any candidate should also be allowed to express their views by ensuring their right to reject.



In line with this provision, if the majority of the votes cast is against the candidates, the political parties cannot field the same candidates at least for one time in the next election, he added.



Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi, and his office, The EC and Ministry of Law and Justice are named as defendants in the writ petition.



According to Nepal such practice of exercising negative voting rights is in place in 13 other countries including France, Brazil, America, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Columbia and India already.



The existing voting rights system of Nepal is against the Preamble of Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2063 BS, Section 3 of Civil Rights Act, 2012, Article 21 (3) of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.



MACAT Nepal has been crusading against the corruption, crime and terrorism that take place under the protection of political parties.










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