Nepal's opposition parties say they are gearing up for voting following a Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday which paved the way for fresh parliamentary elections.

But the opposition remained doubtful as to whether fair and peaceful elections could be held under the emergency rule imposed by the government.

We are was not scared of fighting the election, but it should be free, fair and peaceful".

Arjun Narsingh, Nepali Congress faction leader

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had dissolved parliament in May calling for elections in November.

But the move received stiff opposition from Mr Deuba's rivals who challenged his decision in court.

But on Tuesday, the Supreme Court quashed the opposition petition.

Opposition concerns

A breakaway faction of the governing Nepali Congress which had opposed Mr Deuba's decision to dissolve parliament, described the court's verdict as inexplicable.

But its spokesman, Arjun Narsingh said: "We are was not scared of fighting the election, but it should be free, fair and peaceful".

The main opposition United Marxist-Leninist party or UML also said it was ready for polls, but it called for creating conditions for free and fair polling.

Other opposition parties have voiced similar concerns .

Opposition wants to ensure 'fair' elections

Mr Deuba announced the dissolution of parliament calling for fresh elections following a row within his Nepali Congress party over extending the state of emergency to tackle the long-running Maoist insurgency.

The row led to a split in the Nepali Congress.

The main opposition UML and other smaller opposition parties had also questioned the move to extend the emergency.

Emergency opposed

Prime Minister Deuba has said that the emergency will be in place during the election due on November 13.

But he has not specified a date by when the emergency would be lifted.

Mr Deuba, who has vowed to crush the six-year-Maoist insurgency, has said the elections will be a referendum between peace and terrorism.

More than 4,000 people have been killed since the underground Maoist communist party launched an armed struggle in early 1996 to replace the kingdom's constitutional monarchy with a communist republic.