KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has urged CPN-UML leaders to participate actively in the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5 next year.

During a discussion with UML leaders at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar on Thursday, Karki said the government was working seriously to hold the election on time and asked the party to engage actively in the process.

UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, Deputy General Secretary Pradip Gyawali, and leader Mahesh Bartaula were present in the meeting.

According to Bartaula, they told the Prime Minister that UML was ready to take part in the election once a conducive environment was ensured.

He said the party, which has long struggled to uphold democratic values, had reiterated that it would never oppose being tested before the people.

Bartaula added that the party was seeking an enabling environment for the polls and noted that the government needed to act more seriously on security and other matters. He also said the issue would become clearer once the court decides on a petition demanding reinstatement of the House of Representatives.

Following the meeting, Minister for Information and Communications Technology Jagadish Kharel said the Prime Minister formally requested the UML to participate in the election. “UML leaders expressed their commitment not to shy away from elections and to participate if the government ensured a free and fair environment. Many of the apprehensions surrounding the election appeared to have eased after this meeting,” Kharel said.