Nepal's opposition refuses to sit for talks

Nepal's opposition front which is boycotting the ongoing constitution drafting process has rejected the offer for talks made by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, leaders said Monday.

A statement issued by the opposition front said the prime minister's call for dialogue has not addressed its demands and it was insufficient, Xinhua news agency reported. The front demanded concrete steps for resumption of the dialogue.

The opposition front also said that the ruling parties had failed to create a trust-generating environment for the resumption of the dialogue which broke down after the Jan 22 deadline for the promulgation of the country's constitution.

The opposition front also said that the street protests would continue. The alliance, in the statement, reiterated that the constitution should be drafted through consensus according to the 12-point agreement.

Prime Minister Koirala Sunday issued a public statement asking opposition parties to join the talks on issues related to framing the new constitution.