KATHAMNDU (TIP): Nepal‘s November 19 general elections have been cast to fresh doubts after the breakaway Maoist faction on july 25 announced that it will boycott election. “The present government is illegal and the election conducted by the government is not legal,” said chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal -Maoist Mohan Baidya at a press conference. The party has been demanding that the present government led by sitting chief justice Khilraj Regmi be dissolved before the party can think of participating in the elections.

The other political parties have however rejected this demand. At a meeting between Baidya and chairman of UCPN (Maoist) Prachanda, Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala and UML chairman Jhalnath Khanal earlier on Thursday, efforts made to find a common ground failed. Prachanda said that the structure of the government could be changed but did not agree to change its leadership. Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala stressed on the need to hold elections for the constituent assembly that will prepare a new constitution on November 19.

Baidya, who broke way from the UCPN (Maoist) last year, however said, “The constituent assembly will not be able to prepare a new constitution.” Nepal’s constituent assembly was dissolved last year was after the parties could not agree on the federal structure to be adopted in the new constitution. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has asked the agitating parties be brought to the election fold by mid August failing which the election schedule will be affected.