Digital Rights Weekly| Year 5 Issue 8

Digital Governance in the Manifestos: What Nepal’s Major Parties Promise
As political parties publish their manifestos for the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) election, digital governance and digitalization have emerged as clear cross-party priorities.
Digital Rights Nepal (DRN) reviewed the manifestos of the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Nepal Communist Party (NCP) through a digital governance and digital rights lens. All four recognize that governance reform, economic growth, and state legitimacy are increasingly intertwined with the digital sphere. Despite a broad consensus on digitization, differences remain in regulatory vision, economic strategy, and democratic safeguards.
Across major parties, there is strong agreement on building a “faceless,” “paperless,” and “cashless” state. NC and UML promise 24/7 public services through an upgraded Nagarik App. RSP frames this as “Public Services Online, Not in Line,” while NCP commits to e-governance systems that reduce informal influence and recommendation-based access. Yet, the emphasis remains on efficiency and convenience, with limited clarity on grievance redress, institutional oversight, and safeguards against data misuse in increasingly centralized systems.
On digital infrastructure and sovereignty, all four anchor their plans in the National ID system and integrated state databases. NC proposes a sovereign cloud architecture with domestic data storage requirements. UML advances ambitious proposals, including a sovereign large language model and a national satellite. RSP positions data centers, AI infrastructure, and green energy–powered facilities as strategic assets. NCP emphasizes local-level digital inclusion and social equity. Despite recurring references to “sovereignty,” detailed frameworks for independent data protection oversight and algorithmic accountability are largely absent.
Economically, the digital sector is framed as a growth engine. NC sets measurable targets, including raising IT’s contribution to 5% of GDP. UML offers youth-focused incentives such as free data packages and dollar cards for global digital transactions. RSP proposes designating IT as a National Strategic Industry and scaling exports through tax and investment incentives. NCP focuses on startup incubation, innovation funds, and provincial tech parks. While approaches vary, all parties converge on the premise that Nepal’s economic future is tied to its digital economy.
Differences are sharper in digital rights and media governance. NC commits to internet openness and zero tolerance for digital violence. UML prioritizes combating misinformation and deepfakes but offers limited safeguards against regulatory overreach. RSP links digitalization to anti-corruption and transparency, with less focus on content governance. NCP outlines comparatively detailed media reforms, including journalist protection and regulatory independence. Overall, parties acknowledge the need to balance misinformation control with free expression, but dodge the issue of platform accountability or social media regulation.
Artificial intelligence features prominently across manifestos. UML promotes sovereign AI deployment in governance and anti-corruption. RSP links AI ambitions to hydropower and green computing exports. NC emphasizes research and university–industry collaboration, while NCP integrates AI within broader STEM and youth innovation agendas. However, none present comprehensive ethical AI frameworks, independent oversight, or clear transparency standards for automated decision-making.
On inclusion, all parties recognize the existing digital divide. NC proposes assistance centers for digitally excluded citizens, while UML targets youth participation in the digital economy. Similarly, RSP emphasizes skills certification and provincial training hubs, NCP prioritizes digital literacy, rural broadband, and gender-sensitive digital safety. Still, most commitments remain aspirational, with limited detail on fiscal planning or implementation capacity.
Collectively, the manifestos reflect a political moment where digital transformation is seen as foundational to statecraft. Yet the central question remains: will digitization be grounded in robust data protection laws, independent oversight, transparent algorithmic governance, and constitutional safeguards for free expression? Without these guarantees, ambitious digital agendas risk concentrating power rather than deepening democratic accountability.

Rising Tide of Election-Related False Content in Nepal

As Nepal approaches the House of Representatives elections on March 5, the spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media has intensified significantly. In response, the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN), through its Information Integrity Promotion Unit, has stepped up monitoring efforts and identified hundreds of online posts that allegedly violate the Election Code of Conduct.
In recent weeks, around 367 problematic online contents have been flagged for legal and regulatory follow-up, many of which have been forwarded to relevant authorities for action. The Commission has referred approximately 290 content creators and disseminators to the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau for spreading harmful information. Similarly, 11 have been sent to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority for action under the Telecommunications Authority Act, 2052, 65 to the Press Council Nepal under the Press Council Act, 2048, and one under the Advertising (Regulation) Act, 2076.
Despite these enforcement actions, concerns remain regarding transparency and due process. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific content deemed problematic, the identities of those implicated, or the legal reasoning behind the decisions. Moreover, there appears to be no clear, timely, or accessible redress mechanism for individuals whose content has been restricted or removed, raising legitimate questions about accountability and procedural fairness.
The spread of false content has continued even after regulatory intervention. Fact-checking platforms have recently debunked multiple viral claims, including edited images falsely accusing political figures of consuming alcohol, a manipulated video alleging that Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate KP Khanal was involved in a clash in Kailali-2, and an edited clip from a seven-year-old speech falsely portraying Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa as insulting Indigenous communities. Similarly, widely circulated posts claiming that content creator Vivek Thapaliya had been physically attacked, including allegations of a knife assault, were verified as false.
These cases represent only a fraction of the misleading content circulating on platforms such as Facebook and TikTok. The scale and speed of digital manipulation underscore how online ecosystems are shaping electoral narratives and influencing public perception.
As election day approaches, urgent and balanced measures are required. Strengthening media literacy, supporting independent fact-checking initiatives, enhancing platform accountability, and ensuring transparent and rights-respecting enforcement of electoral regulations are critical to safeguarding public trust and protecting the integrity of Nepal’s democratic process.