Kathmandu: The Nepalese Cabinet on October 3 decided to postpone the mid-term polls by one year until November 19, 2003, due to security reasons, official sources said.

Caretaker Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's Cabinet, after holding four-and-a-half- hour-long meeting on October 3, decided to recommend to King Gyanendra to postpone the Parliamentary polls until November 2003 for security reasons, according to a source in the PM's office.

The Cabinet has sent a letter to King Gyanendra citing the "deteriorating law-and- order situation" in the country for the delay, he said.

Deuba was expected to meet with Gyanendra later on October 3 followed by a decision from the King.

Earlier, Deuba on September 29 was asked by seven major parties to postpone elections due to security problems.

The election to the 205-member Assembly had already been announced in six rounds beginning November 13, 2002.

PTI