Kathmandu: On December 15 at 1:45 PM, the National Independent Civil Society, Nepal submitted a memorandum to the Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, demanding the introduction of an inter-district voting system. The memorandum was presented with the demand to ensure the voting rights of citizens who, for various reasons, are residing outside their permanent place of residence within the country.
Those present while submitting the memorandum included Civil Society President Phanindra Nepal, Vice President Ranabahadur Chand, and General Secretary Praveen Nepal. They stated that due to employment, education, business, and other reasons, a large number of citizens have migrated from one district to another, and therefore, enabling voters to cast their ballots from wherever they reside is a fundamental requirement of democracy.
Representatives of the civil society claimed that the absence of an inter-district voting system has resulted in millions of voters being deprived of their right to vote. According to them, the failure to practically implement the constitutionally guaranteed right to vote poses a serious challenge to the democratic system. The memorandum also includes suggestions such as the use of technology, temporary voter identification cards, or the establishment of special polling centers to implement inter-district voting in practice.
Receiving the memorandum, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari responded that the issue raised by the civil society is theoretically valid and timely. However, he clarified that due to legal, technical, and administrative complexities, it would not be possible to implement such a system in the upcoming election. He noted that introducing inter-district voting would require amendments to election laws, prior preparation, and sufficient resources.
Nevertheless, Commissioner Bhandari indicated that the Election Commission is positive about holding serious discussions on the issue in the future and working toward a long-term solution. The civil society, meanwhile, stated that it would continue pressure-based initiatives until the full exercise of voting rights is ensured.
