Policy Research Institute and Election Commission Agree to Collaborate on Research

On August 12, a meeting was held between the delegates of the Policy Research Institute (PRI) and the Election Commission, Nepal (EC) at the office of the Election Commission. The meeting discussed areas of collaboration between the PRI and the EC on the front of electoral reform, and agreed to formalize the process through a general memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The EC and the PRI agreed to collaborate in the study of the overall electoral system. Possible areas of collaboration include: reform of the electoral system as a whole; how to arrange the right to vote for eligible Nepalis residing in a foreign land (as ordered by the Supreme Court of Nepal); and, use of the Electronic Voting Machine. The EC expects PRI to unpack issues, challenges and opportunities vis-à-vis these and any other germane areas and generate evidence-based recommendations for the state and EC to implement. PRI responded that it is ready to collaborate with the EC in these areas. PRI also reminded that a research on the use of Electronic Voting Machine is already underway.

In the meeting, PRI was represented by Dr. Bishnu Raj Upreti, Executive Chairperson; Dr. Deepak Kumar Khadka, Head of Research Department; Dr. Muktiram Rijal, Senior Research Fellow and Coordinator of the Governance and Public Service Delivery Cluster; Mr. Purushottam Tiwari, Office Manager; and Dr. Mukunda Kattel, Head of Information and Knowledge Management Department. Present in the meeting from the EC were Honourable Mr. Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, Chief Election Commissioner; Honourable Mr. Narendra Dahal, Election Commissioner; Ms Dev Kumari Guragain, Secretary; Mr Raj Kumar Shreshtha, Joint Secretary; Mr Laxmi Prasad Gautam, Join Secretary; and Mr Komal Prasad Niraula.