Kathmandu: Following the Supreme Court's ruling, the Election Commission (EC) of Nepal has drafted an Integrated Election Law that includes provisions for updating the voter list to include details of Nepali citizens residing abroad.

According to the proposed draft, Nepalis living in foreign countries would be able to participate in the proportional electoral system of the House of Representatives (HoR) elections from their respective host countries. This would be facilitated through Nepal's diplomatic missions located abroad.

The EC will submit the draft to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further consideration. The EC has incorporated feedback from the National Concerns and Coordination Committee of the National Assembly, as well as the women's wings of various political parties, while preparing the draft.

The draft also includes a provision stating that a candidate who loses an election for the Federal Parliament, Provincial Assembly, or local level will be ineligible to run in subsequent polls until the term of the respective post expires. However, this restriction does not apply to by-elections held in the same constituency and level.

Additionally, the draft proposes that candidates who have been elected twice under the proportional electoral system in the HoR and Provincial Assembly would be disqualified from running for a third time under the same system.

To promote gender inclusivity, the draft suggests that at least 33 percent of the candidates for the first-past-the-post electoral system in the HoR, Provincial Assembly, and local level elections should be women.

Moreover, the EC emphasizes that candidates contesting in elections must provide details of their own properties as well as those of their family members.