Opposition parties in Nepal have rejected the fresh proposal by ruling Maoists to appoint the incumbent chief justice as prime minister to end the current political stalemate.

Instead they have decided to intensify agitation to overthrow the ruling Maoist-Madhesi coalition in order to form a national unity government so that parliamentary polls are held in May.

The first phase of the three-week-long anti-government protests by nine opposition major parties concluded on Friday with a massive rally held at Khulla Manch in Kathmandu.

"The door for consensus is still open. But judging by the way the present government is functioning, there seems to be no alternative to agitation," said CPN (Unified Marxist Leninist) leader Jhalanath Khanal.