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The Election Commission has mandated that hospitals and health facilities maintain health workers on standby for the upcoming House of Representatives elections set for March 5. 

Emphasizing that the administrative processes for the elections are proceeding as per the Commission's approved schedule, the Commission has ordered that provisions be made for emergency health assistance at polling stations for staff, security forces, and voters who may require it during the elections, said Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, Joint Secretary and spokesperson for the Commission. 

He mentioned that the Commission has sought necessary support from all local levels via the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration. Additionally, the Commission has communicated with the Ministry of Health and Population and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to ensure that doctors, health workers, and medical supplies are prepared in hospitals and health facilities nationwide to deliver essential and emergency medical services.

The Election Commission (EC) has urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to take necessary measures to prevent any prohibited activities during the election period.

It has requested immediate action in accordance with existing laws if such activities are detected, along with a report to the Commission. 

In a press release, the Commission instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs to inform all Chief District Officers and security agencies to strictly adhere to the election code of conduct during the campaign prohibition period, which begins at 12:00 Midnight on March 4. 

The District Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee is tasked with deploying designated personnel and mechanisms to address violations of Section 24 of the Election (Offense and Punishment) Act, 2073, as well as Sections 17 and 18 of the Election Code of Conduct, 2082, and to report any actions taken. 

Additionally, the Commission has called for a ban on the sale, distribution, and consumption of intoxicants starting seven days before the voting date until the final election results are announced. "On voting day, all public and private vehicles, with the exception of those used for essential services (such as ambulances, fire trucks, hearses, blood transfusion service vehicles, security agency vehicles, electricity repair, drinking water and sewage repair vehicles, and telecommunication service maintenance vehicles), as well as vehicles from diplomatic missions and those with special passes for election day, will be prohibited from operating from 12:00 Midnight on March 4 until voting concludes on March 5," the Commission said.

Furthermore, the Commission clarified that arrangements will be made for international and domestic flights to continue operating as normal on voting day, allowing passengers with tickets for these flights to use vehicles provided by private parties or their respective airlines to travel from the airport to their homes or hotels.

As the countdown to federal elections begins, it has been reported that 359 polling stations in Karnali are classified as highly sensitive from a security standpoint. 

Jayaraj Sapkota, the Deputy Inspector General of Police and head of the Karnali Province Police Office in Surkhet, informed that out of the 10 districts in the province, 359 polling stations are highly sensitive, 422 are categorized as sensitive, and 160 are considered normal. 

In total, there are 959 polling stations in the province, which includes 941 permanent and 18 temporary stations. Among the 1,455 polling centres, 446 are identified as highly sensitive regarding security. 

Karnali comprises 12 constituencies for the House of Representatives. Surkhet and Dailekh each have two constituencies, while the remaining eight districts each have one constituency. 

The province has a total voter population of 1,037,800, with 54 rural municipalities and 25 municipalities.

The total number of temporary voters for the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections has stood at 186,000. 

The temporary voters will use their franchise for the proportional representation system from the designated voting stations. 

Those enlisted in the voters' namelist but failing to appear at their polling stations for being deployed in the election or other reasons have been listed as the temporary voters. 

Those included in the temporary voters' list include the officials of the federal, province and local government, Nepal Army personnel, Nepal Police personnel, inmates and jailbirds, officials and security personnel deployed for the election and chiefs of the constitutional bodies and their office-bearers. 

Election Commission's Assistant Spokesperson Kul Bahadur GC said that a total of 143 voting stations have been determined for the temporary voters.