Absentee voting is essential in Nepal given the migrants’ contribution, but authorities are uninterested

Almost four years back, the Supreme Court of Nepal ordered the government to provide Nepalis living abroad with voting right in future elections. However, the provision of absentee voting has not been implemented yet nor is there any sign that it will come into effect anytime soon.

If the Supreme Court precedent is considered a part of the country’s law, over two million Nepalis were denied the opportunity to exercise their basic political right in the local elections held in May. And, this is not going to change in the upcoming federal and provincial parliamentary elections , thanks to a lack of action from the authorities.