KATHMANDU: CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has said that his party’s disagreement is not with the early elections as the country is in need of a new mandate after the old mandate became ineffective.

“However, the UML is wary of the intention of the five-party alliance to keep the local levels vacant by deferring local elections under various pretexts,” Pokhrel wrote on social media Facebook.

The UML, in fact, has frequently called for a new mandate after the erstwhile Nepal Communist Party (NCP), which was formed through the merger of UML and Maoist Center, split.

Chairman of the ruling Maoist Center Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has proposed to hold early elections in April. The proposal is seconded by CPN-Unified Socialist.