Nepal's King Gyanendra said today he was handing over political power to the people and asked a seven-party alliance to choose a new prime minister following sweeping anti-monarchy protests.
King Gyanendra sacked the government and took full powers in February 2005, vowing to crush a decade-old Maoist revolt in which more than 13,000 people have died.
King Gyanendra
At least 12 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the pro-democracy campaign that was launched on April 6th.
There was no immediate reaction from the parties that have spearheaded the violent protests to force the restoration of democracy. But the king appeared to rule out any change of the constitution to curb his powers, which has been one of their demands.
"Executive power of the kingdom of Nepal, which was in our safekeeping, shall from this day be returned to the people," he said in an address to the nation in the Nepali language.
"We ask the seven-party alliance to recommend the name for the post of prime minister at the earliest for the constitution of a council of ministers, which will bear the responsibility of governing the country in accordance with the constitution."
Dressed in a Nepali cap and black jacket, King Gyanendra said he was making the move "in keeping with the tradition of the Shah dynasty to reign in accordance with the popular will, in the greater interest of the nation and the people, and our unflinching commitment toward constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy".
Today, protesters burned tyres and threw logs and barbed wire across the streets of the capital, Kathmandu, as a curfew imposed to prevent a march on the palace came into force.
Smoke rose from several places in the city of 1.5 million people as protesters, angry at the king's sacking of the government last year, tried to block movement of police and troops.
Protesters burned a government revenue office on the outskirts of the capital and fought street battles with police elsewhere in the city. There was no word of serious casualties.
The curfew in Kathmandu began this morning and was to continue until midnight, but was only being enforced within the city limits.
On the ring road outside, tens of thousands marched, waved party flags and chanted slogans demanding the king leave the country.
Yesterday, police opened fired on tens of thousands of demonstrators trying to enter the city. At least three people were killed and up to 100 injured.