Proposed Chief Election Commissioner Presents Action Plan for Electoral Reform

Kathmandu. Proposed Chief Election Commissioner Man Bahadur Karki has presented his action plan with policies for comprehensive reform in the electoral system, maximum use of technology, and ensuring voting rights for Nepali citizens living abroad. Presenting the action plan in the parliamentary hearing committee of the federal parliament, Karki expressed his commitment to making the Election Commission clean, impartial, and technology-friendly. The most significant aspect of Karki's action plan is providing voting rights to Nepali citizens living abroad. For this, he has proposed four options. Karki presented options for voting by keeping ballot boxes at Nepali embassies or designated locations, sending ballot papers by post, secure internet voting based on blockchain technology, and representative voting. He has written in the action plan to take legal and diplomatic initiatives to provide voting rights to eligible Nepalis in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as per the Supreme Court's order and the citizens' desire. To modernize elections, Karki said he would prioritize the use of electronic voting machines. The action plan mentions taking the voter list collection online, ensuring biometric identification, and using technologies like GIS and GPS for monitoring polling stations. His goal is to study the feasibility of e-voting and start it as a pilot project. To make elections less expensive, Karki has emphasized the mandatory auditing and public disclosure of the financial transactions of political parties. His plan is to facilitate legal provisions for providing grants from public funds to parties to free them from the dependency on donations and for fair competition. Karki has also written in the action plan to take initiatives for the legal provision of 'no vote'. Karki has emphasized ensuring the representation of women, Dalits, indigenous nationalities, Madhesis, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities as per Article 42 of the Constitution. He proposes making polling stations disability-friendly and including election education in the secondary level curriculum to reduce invalid votes. Karki said that he would unify the scattered laws related to elections to create a unified election law and make the election code of conduct more practical and effective. He has also presented a plan to make the Election Commission's offices in all seven provinces and 77 districts resourceful and develop the capacity of employees. Karki stated that elections are the soul of democracy, and if his action plan is implemented, Nepal's electoral system will become more credible and international standard, as claimed in the action plan. He also expects the cooperation of political parties, civil society, and the media to establish elections as a mirror of democracy. This is his action plan: