KATHMANDU:- The Election Commission said 1,213 candidates and nine political parties have so far opened separate bank accounts to manage election expenses for the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5.

Assistant Spokesperson Kul Bahadur GC said parties that have opened accounts include the Nepali Congress, Rashtriya Janamorcha Party, Nepali Communist Party, Janata Samajwadi Party and several others.

The Commission has made it mandatory for candidates and parties to operate separate bank accounts for election-related transactions to ensure transparency. It warned that failure to comply would invite action.

The EC said the measure would help effective monitoring of election spending and better implementation of the election code of conduct.