Kathmandu: The Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) has submitted a policy recommendation to the Election Commission, urging it to facilitate voting for Nepali citizens living abroad. The NPI’s nine-point recommendation, titled ‘Arrangement of voting for Nepali citizens living abroad, upcoming elections and possible measures thereafter,’ was presented to Election Commissioner Janaki Tuladhar, other office bearers, and Secretary Mahadev Pantha.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the policy recommendation was also submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Home Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and other government bodies. The NPI noted that many countries have enabled their citizens abroad to vote using various methods and suggested a mixed-type external voting method for Nepalis living overseas.
The NPI highlighted that countries like Mexico and the Philippines have already implemented voting rights for their citizens abroad, with Mexico ensuring this in the 2024 federal election and the Philippines in the 2025 election. Drawing from these experiences, the NPI proposed an external mixed voting model for Nepal, which includes direct voting at embassies, postal voting, and I-voting (internet-based voting).
NPI Chairperson Dr. Khagendra Dhakal emphasized the importance of ensuring voting opportunities for Nepalis abroad, noting that millions of citizens are overseas for various reasons. Experts clarified that e-voting involves electronic voting at embassies or polling stations, while I-voting allows individuals to vote from their current location via a secure internet server.
President Dhakal pointed out that I-voting technology offers a more inclusive solution compared to e-voting. The NPI’s proposal aims to uphold the fundamental voting rights of Nepali citizens, regardless of their location.