KATHMANDU: During a Parliamentary Hearing Committee meeting at Singha Durbar, proposed Election Commissioner Guru Prasad Wagle presented an action plan urging Nepal to guarantee voting rights for its millions of citizens living abroad.

Drawing from a comprehensive election study report, Wagle outlined five major international voting modalities that Nepal could adopt for upcoming elections. These include in-person ballot box voting at Nepali embassies—a widely used practice in countries like France, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa, though logistically complex and costly—as well as postal voting, which was recently used in Bangladesh and remains standard in Australia, Canada, Germany, and Singapore despite depending heavily on reliable mail services.

The report also highlighted proxy voting, where overseas citizens designate a representative to vote on their behalf, alongside electronic and hybrid voting alternatives.

Emphasizing that enfranchising non-resident Nepalis requires balancing national resources, technical capabilities, and legal infrastructure, Wagle urged parliament and administrative bodies to establish the necessary legal frameworks and logistical mechanisms to make overseas participation a reality for the next election cycle.