The government says it is determined to ensure voting rights for the Nepali diaspora living in different countries even as the Election Commission has already started preparations for the upcoming elections.

In a meeting with the Election Commission officials on Thursday, Minister for Home Affairs Om Prakash Aryal said it is vital to ensure voting rights for Nepali diaspora. Citing the Supreme Court verdict, Aryal claimed that the government was ready to make necessary arrangements for the same.

“We are planning to start giving voting rights to Nepalis living abroad from somewhere [some countries],” he said, talking to the media after the meeting. “The government is ready to clear the technical and legal barriers for it.” He said honouring the franchise right of Nepalis abroad was also necessary to implement the Supreme Court verdict.

A division bench of justices Sapana Malla Pradhan and Purushottam Bhandari, on April 27, 2017, had directed the government to give voting rights to Nepali citizens living abroad.

“Make all necessary arrangements for ensuring the voting rights of all Nepalis living abroad,” read the verdict. It said Nepalis who have not renounced their citizenship, not acquired citizenship of another country, hold a voter identity card issued by the Election Commission, and have their names on the lists updated by a diplomatic mission should be allowed external voting.

With no progress in implementation, the court’s Judgement Enforcement Directorate, in July, reminded the commission to implement the order. Talking to the Post, acting Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said they would have no problem in ensuring voting rights for Nepali diaspora if the government ensures an enabling environment.

“There are legal hurdles and the host country also needs to agree to allow our citizens to vote from there. The commission has no problem in holding the polls if the government can address these problems,” he said.

The commission has already prepared a draft bill to amend and consolidate the election laws submitted to the government, proposing 27 revisions in existing legal provisions including one to enable Nepali citizens living abroad to exercise their franchise. The commission has proposed provisions to allow them to vote under the proportional representation category via Nepal’s diplomatic missions in the respective countries.

The provisions, according to officials involved in drafting the bill, were included after assessing the viability of postal voting and electronic voting.

However, not everyone in the commission agrees that Nepal can ensure voting rights to its people living abroad from the upcoming elections. The Sushila Karki-led interim government has been mandated to hold the elections on March 5.

“The largest communities of Nepali diaspora live in the countries that don’t believe in democratic systems. Will they allow our people to vote from their land while their own people cannot exercise the right to franchise?” asked a senior official at the commission. “The government needs to take pragmatic decisions.”

At Thursday’s meeting, the commission had requested the government to issue an ordinance to clear legal hurdles to resume voter registration. The existing Voter Registration Act says voter registration has to be stopped once the election dates are announced.

“We also requested the home minister, our line minister, to ensure availability of all kinds of resources to successfully hold the elections,” said Bhandari. He said the commission was calculating the total budget, human and other resources necessary. “We will adopt austerity measures to hold the polls with minimal expenses. We can come up with the calculations in a week,” he said.

However, the government has said there will be no problem in giving enough budget to the commission. Talking to a group of business journalists, minister for finance Rameshore Khanal said the government can hold the elections with its own resources. “The Ministry of Finance will make arrangements for the budget the commission needs,” he said.