KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's party, CPN Maoist Centre, has said it will finalise the candidates for the upcoming local level elections by the third week of April.

Targeting the elections, the party has launched various programmes in the local level, according to the party spokesperson, Pampha Bhusal.

A committee, chaired Maoist central member Dev Gurung, has already prepared the draft of party's election manifesto and sent it to the local level for feedback, the party said. The manifesto will be revised incorporating the feedback.

The party has observed the local level elections as a means of delegating the power centred in Singhadarbar to the public sphere , party leader Mani Thapa said.

As per the deadline set by the Election Commission of Nepal, political parties have to register candidacy nominations for the local level elections, scheduled for May 14, by April 29.

So far, the Maoist party has finalised the names of candidates fighting for the posts of mayor and deputy-mayor in four municipalities.