Climate change, social media and migration challenges to election, CEC Thapaliya

Kathmandu, Sept 4: Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya has said that climate change, social media and migration pose challenges in the election process.     

 Speaking at the 12th International Conference of the Forum of Election Bodies of South Asia (FEMBOSA) that began in Kathmandu on Tuesday, CEC Thapaliya said social media can affect the election process while climate change poses problems in goods transportation and mobility of voters while migration affects the election process and its outcome.     

 On the occasion, Chair of Election Commission of the Maldives, Fuwad Thowfeek, said that climate change is increasing challenges to elections in South Asia, causing problems in access to voters, voting materials and technology.     

The increasing access to social media affects citizens, and the development and flow of false information and fake news affects the democratic process of elections, he added.     

Likewise, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner of India, Nitesh Kumar Vyas, expressed his belief that FEMBOSA could work to help face challenges posed by climate change and migration through capacity development of the respective country's constituencies.     

Chairperson of Sri Lanka's Election Commission, R.M.A.L. Ratnayke, said that the impact of climate change will affect the lives of voters and increase migration, which in turn affect the election itself. The growing influence of social media and AI is affecting the democratic process including elections.     

Chairperson of the Election Commission of Bhutan, Dosho Sonam Togwe, said that the conference held in Bhutan in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic had reached important conclusions which helped to collectively face the challenges seen in South Asia.     

The two-day conference organized by the Election Commission of Nepal is scheduled to discuss the effects of climate change, social media and migration on elections. In addition to Nepal, representatives from election commissions of ten different countries including the heads of Election Commission of India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka are participating in the conference.     

Representatives of development partner organizations, the United Nations (UN), election observation organizations and election commissioners are taking part in the conference which will end with a Kathmandu Declaration on Thursday.(RSS)