Who is getting the right to vote even from outside their polling station?
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There has been a debate about whether Nepalis living abroad and citizens living outside their polling stations within the country for employment, study or other purposes should be allowed to vote from their place of residence. However, neither the government nor the Election Commission has taken any steps to implement both of these issues for the elections to be held on 21 Falgun.
But, did you know? Some voters within the country have been given the right to vote by law even if they are outside their place. Government employees, the army and the police are among those who are granted such special rights. The common citizen is not given that facility.
The number of voters who do not reach the polling station where their name is from their place of employment, profession, business or study is large. There is also a huge expense in having to go that way. There are millions of such voters. Who are being deprived of voting even though they are within the country. Which has not allowed maximum voter participation in voting.
In the all-party meeting for the election called by Prime Minister Sushila Karki on 7th Falgun, the demand of Gen-G youth was - if this time it is not possible abroad, let's arrange for inter-district election voting.
Gen-G representative Bhavana Raut said - 'It is difficult for many to go to the polling station where their name is after spending tens of thousands of rupees. If it is not possible to give voting rights to Nepalis living abroad this time, those living in the country should be given the right to vote within the constituency.'
The Commission will start collecting the temporary voter list two weeks after the meeting. However, the general public will not be included in it.
The Election Commission has set a time limit of one month for the collection of the temporary voter list. The names of a limited number of voters living outside their polling stations are being collected for the purpose of voting towards the proportional election system. The Commission has set a time limit for that from 19 Poush to 18 Magh.
The names of employees working at the federal, provincial or local levels, Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force in barracks are being collected for the temporary voter list. Similarly, the Commission has stated that the names of detainees and prisoners in prisons, people living in old age homes, and office bearers of constitutional bodies will be collected in the list.
There is an ongoing debate on granting Nepali citizens abroad the right to vote and the general public the right to inter-district voting within the country. However, the government or the commission has not taken the necessary steps in this regard. The Voters' Roll Act, 2073 BS, contains provisions regarding the temporary voter list. The provision in Section 30 of the act states that the names of government employees, army, police, prisoners, detainees, and people in old age homes can be included in the temporary voter list.
Employees and security personnel deployed for election work are also included in it. When asked about the initiative taken regarding the provision of inter-district voting, the commission officials said that the commission is moving forward as per the provisions in the law.
At a press conference held by the commission last Friday, Acting Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said that the commission will increase in accordance with the provisions in the law. He indicated that since there is no provision in the law, the facility of inter-district voting for general voters cannot be increased by including their names in the temporary voter list.
However, in addition to the government employees, security personnel, prisoners and those in old age homes mentioned in the Provisions of the Temporary Voters' List Act, the same Act has given the Commission the power to designate additional such persons. Section 30(2) 1(f) of the Provisions of the Temporary Voters' List Act states that other persons designated by the Commission can also be included in the Temporary Voters' List.
The procedure for the Temporary Voters' List prepared by the Commission itself has provided this facility to the heads and office bearers of constitutional bodies. The Commission has used the power granted by the Act for the heads and office bearers of constitutional bodies. Whereas the Voters' List Act does not include constitutional bodies and office bearers in the list of eligible voters.
A committee has been formed under the coordination of the Election Commissioner to oversee the collection and management of the Temporary Voters' List to coordinate the work of collecting and managing the Temporary Voters' List.
At the district level, there is a committee headed by the Chief District Officer and comprising the heads of security agencies, prisons and election officers. In the 2079 House of Representatives elections, the names of 147,605 people were included in the provisional voter list for the purpose of voting under the proportional electoral system.
After the promulgation of the constitution in 2072, for the first time in the last election, a provisional voter list was prepared and they were given the right to vote.
