The governors of five Bolivian departments issued a statement on Tuesday denying the legality of the nation's new constitution that was passed on Saturday by the Constituent Assembly, according to news reaching here.

The governors of five Bolivian departments issued a statement on Tuesday denying the legality of the nation's new constitution that was passed on Saturday by the Constituent Assembly, according to news reaching here.

The governors also backed claims made by Sucre's local government to have the legislature and executive returned there.

The governors' Tuesday statement formally backed the local government in Sucre, which remains the nation's constitutional capital and also houses the supreme court.

The new constitution had already been formally rejected by the Democratic and Social Party (Podemos), the nation's largest opposition grouping.

In their statement, the governors said that the Assembly session that began Thursday in a military base was illegal, describing it as undermining the Assembly's meeting rules.

"This imposition by the president must be submitted to a recall referendum," said the governors' statement.