Kathmandu, Sept. 25 -- The legal door has opened to start voter registration for the March 5 snap polls.

President Ramchandra Paudel, on the government's recommendation, issued an ordinance to amend the law so as to enroll new voters for the upcoming polls. Section 4, subsection 2 (2) of the Voter Registration Act, 2073, stipulates: "No person shall be registered in the voters' roll for the purpose of an election after the date of that election has been declared."

Tens of thousands of youths could have been barred from exercising their franchise right under the existing law. The ordinance has revised the provision allowing the Election Commission to restart the registration of voters.

"If the House of Representatives is dissolved and a...