President Joseph Estrada of the Philippines was last night reported to be demanding a pardon before standing down after losing the support of a number of key members of his cabinet.
There was increasing speculation that the President would resign after his proposal to hand over power following a snap election in May was firmly rejected by Vice-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, his bitter political rival.
There were unconfirmed reports that the President was in talks with a three-member transition panel composed of senior opposition figures.
The President was said to be demanding immunity before resigning in five days' time, demands which have been rejected by the opposition.
Tens of thousands of Estrada opponents gathered at a shrine along Edsa highway, six miles from the presidential palace in the capital, Manila, waiting for the latest news. Minor outbreaks of violence were reported. Army tanks were guarding the presidential palace where the President was staying with his family.
Looking haggard and drawn, President Estrada earlier appeared on national television and proposed the snap election. He pledged he would not be a candidate and would hand over power to the winner.
"I would have wished the impeachment trial to go on so as to allow this constitutional process to take its due course. But as much as I would have wanted this to happen, I know that my mandate to lead our people will remain in question from here on regardless of the outcome of the trial."
Vice-President Arroyo immediately described Mr Estrada's proposal for a snap election as "illegal and unconstitutional".
Meanwhile, there were reports that two aircraft were waiting to fly the President and his family out of the country.
A local radio station, quoting unidentified presidential palace sources, said one of the aircraft came from the United States, supposedly to fly the Estrada family to Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, "and then to the United States".
However, officials said the rumours were untrue. A US embassy spokesman said he was unaware of any talks between Washington and Manila on possible asylum for Mr Estrada.
President Estrada was still in the presidential palace last night, an hour after an opposition deadline for him to stand down. "The president has no intention to leave the country, he made it very clear to us" former presidential adviser for political affairs, Mr Lito Banayo, said after an all-night meeting with Mr Estrada. The 6 a.m. (10 p.m. Irish time yesterday) deadline had been called by the opposition as Filipinos rocked the night away, trying to sing and dance him out of office.
Vice President Gloria Arroyo is to take oath as the next leader of the Philippines at 12 noon (4 a.m. Irish time) today even if President Estrada refuses to resign, a church official said.