Kerala NRI body passes resolution seeking voting rights for NRIs

Manglore Today News Network

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 28, 2020:  Kerala NRI Commission has passed a resolution demanding the rights for NRIs to cast votes from the workplace. The resolution was passed on Friday during the commission meet in Thiruvananthapuram.

 

The resolution, which demands the amendment of the Representation of the People Act without any delay, was moved by one of the members in the commission Dr Shamsheer Vayalil. The resolution will enable millions of NRIs to exercise their voting rights from their work outside the country.

The resolution demanding the central government and the Election Commission of India to formulate a law enabling the right was seconded by all the commission members.

"The central government may consider introducing the bill in the next session of the Parliament session considering the interest of the NRI community at large," the resolution read.

The approved resolution will be sent to the Ministry of Law, Election Commission of India and the central government. Commission chairman Justice PD Rajan said the right to vote for NRIs is a genuine demand.

"This is time that we step up pressure on the agencies concerned to implement this. Voting from the workplace would be a different experience for them. This would directly benefit close to 10 million NRIs who are spread across the globe. It will be a decisive step," he said.

Dr Shamsheer said the commission is expecting a favourable decision from the Supreme Court. "We would also approach the NRI commission in other states and request them to raise the same demand. All of the agencies must come together for this. NRIs have been longing for this decision," he said.
Dr Shamsheer is also the petitioner in the writ petition filed in the matter in the Supreme Court of India. The Lok Sabha had passed a bill enabling NRI proxy voting rights in August 2018. This was done after an expert committee of the Election Commission forwarded the legal framework to the law ministry to amend electoral laws. However, the bill lapsed following the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha.

Courtesy:India Today