Strengthening Nepal's Electoral Integrity System: An Analysis of the Integrated Election Bill

The Election Commission of Nepal, in collaboration with diverse stakeholders, has prepared a draft Integrated Election Bill to enhance and strengthen the country's electoral integrity system. The bill consolidates seven election-related acts and proposes several transformative provisions to make the election process more effective, reliable, and streamlined.

Key Takeaways:

• The draft Integrated Election Bill introduces provisions related to voter roll management, candidate eligibility criteria, stricter code of conduct, transparency in election expenditures, and mechanisms to ensure proportional representation.
• The bill aims to promote transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness in the electoral process, addressing key issues such as voting rights for Nepali citizens living abroad and temporary voter registration.
• The Election Commission has forwarded the draft bill to the Ministry of Home Affairs for presentation before the federal parliament, but the Ministry has not initiated steps to seek cabinet approval.
• The proposed bill includes a provision for collecting details of Nepalis residing overseas as part of electoral roll preparation, but practical challenges may hinder its implementation.
• Alternative voting methods, such as electronic voting, may be necessary to ensure voting rights for Nepalis living abroad, and discussions are required on topics like managing overseas voting, preventing double voting, and addressing financial and administrative implications.

Statistics:

• Over 100 countries have Nepali citizens eligible to vote, while Nepal has resident diplomatic missions in only a few countries.
• Millions of Nepalis reside in India and the United States, making it challenging to implement voting arrangements for overseas citizens.
• The draft bill proposes provisions to ensure proportional representation, but practical challenges may remain in implementing these provisions.
• The Election Commission has not reported any data on the number of Nepalis living abroad or the number of migrant workers living in countries with restrictive voting regulations.

Sources:

• Democracy Resource Centre Nepal (DRCN)
• Election Commission of Nepal (EC)
• Ministry of Home Affairs
• Supreme Court of Nepal
• Internal reports and updates on the Integrated Election Bill