Kathmandu, Feb 21 (UNI) At the request of the Nepalese government, the Election Commission (EC) today extended the date to submit the list of candidates by four days to accommodate the agitating Madhesi parties in the forthcoming election.

The EC has fixed February 24 as the new deadline for political parties to submit the closed list candidates for the election to be held on April 10.

The deadline was extended in view of the demands of the Madhesi political parties that include the autonomy of Terai bordering India.

Discussion between the Madhesi parties and the government are going on and they have said that an agreement is very close.

Nepal is holding the election of Constituent Assembly for the first time that will write a new constitution and decide the fate of the monarchy which has ruled over 240 years almost in a dictatorial way.

Parliament has endorsed a proposal to declare Nepal a republic, abolishing monarchy, that will be implemented after the election.

Major political parties have already declared that they would go for republican system in the coming election, saying that ''the monarchy has time and again deceived peoples' rights and hindered the development process.'' UNI XC SKB AS2014