Kathmandu, February 25 The Nepalese government announced on Wednesday that the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages would be prohibited seven days before the general elections on March 5.
The Nepal-India border will also be sealed 72 hours before the voting begins, the Election Commission (EC) said.
Issuing a notice, the EC said that the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages will be completely prohibited across the country seven days before the election. The restriction will be enforced until the final election results are published.
"All concerned authorities have been instructed to seal the border 72 hours ahead of the election," the EC said.
According to the EC, all types of vehicular movements, except for emergency services such as fire engines, ambulances, and vehicles for telecom and electricity maintenance, are not allowed from midnight on March 4 until the voting is complete on March 5.
However, domestic and international air services will continue to operate during the election period, and arrangements have been made to provide transportation to passengers based on air tickets.
The authorities will issue vehicular passes on March 5 for emergency services. No vehicle will be allowed to move without a special pass.
Meanwhile, the Nepalese Army said that it is implementing a three-phase integrated security plan, including aerial patrols and neutralizing suspicious objects, for the general elections.
A total of 18.9 million eligible voters will exercise their franchise to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives (HoR), for which polling will be held from 7 am to 5 pm on March 5.
