Nepals former Maoist rebels have abandoned efforts to form the countrys next government, reports say according to BBC online Tuesday.
Their decision follows their failure on Monday to get the candidate they were supporting elected as first president of the new republic.
The Maoists were expected to lead the new government as they won most seats in Aprils elections to a new constituent assembly. But they say they are being blocked by an alliance of rival parties.
A decision by the Maoists, who won one third of the assembly seats, to go into opposition will plunge Nepal into yet more political instability. There is now concern that the country may be governed by a shaky alliance of parties with differing ideologies while the Maoists – with their capacity to bring supporters onto the streets – will be watching form the outside.
On Monday, the Maoists presidential candidate, Ramraja Prasad Singh, lost a run-off in the constituent assembly to Nepali Congress party candidate Ram Baran Yadav by 282 votes to 308.
