The recommendation followed a cabinet meeting one day after communist allies pulled out of his coalition government over differences on a power-sharing accord.

Koirala, leader of the centrist Nepali Congress party, recommended to the King that a mid-term general election be held on March 31.

``Prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala has, in accordance with the constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1990, recommended to his majesty the King that the present house of representatives be dissolved...,'' it said, quoting a statement by Koirala's office.

Elections officially are not due until November 1999 in Nepal, which introduced multi-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy in 1990 after a bloody pro-democracy movement.

Koirala has in the recent past said he wanted to hold elections in April or May in the Himalayan kingdom, which has been hit by political uncertainties since the last elections in 1994.

The statement said the recommendation for early elections had been approved earlier by the Nepali cabinet.

An emergency meeting of the central working committee of Koirala's party said the recommendation was `appropriate'.