Saturday, April 22 2006 13:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: Seeking to exert more pressure on King Gyanendra despite his announcement of handing over executive power to people, the opposition seven-party alliance in Nepal today vowed to continue its pro-democracy agitation as thousands of protestors converged here demanding an end to monarchy.

Shouting anti-King slogans, the protestors staged demonstrations on roads leading to the Narayanhity Royal Palace, which has been guarded by army and police with armoured vehicles.

The curfew, which was yesterday extended till midnight, was re-imposed for an eight-hour period this morning. Shops opened for a short while and shutters were down at noon.

Emerging from a meeting of the Nepali Congress, party spokesman Krishna Sitoula said "the agitation will continue.

The King's proclamation (yesterday) did not positively address the roadmap set out by the seven-party alliance.

He said the demands including re-instatement of Parliament and Constituent Assembly Elections have not been met by the King.

The Nepali Congress has called upon the international community and friendly countries including India to fully endorse the alliance's roadmap.

Senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-UML (CPN-UML) Amrit Kumar Bohra said his party rejected the King'sproclamation as it failed to address the basic agenda of the alliance.

"The agitation will continue till full ruling power and authority are totally returned to the people and unless there is basis for holding Constituent Assembly election," Bohra said.

In his address to the nation last evening, the 58-year-old King said he would return political power to the people but did not announce any change of the Constitution to restrict his own powers.

The political parties have held that holding of Constituent Assembly elections would make it possible to clip the King's powers.

The King has come under intense public pressure since he sacked the Sher Bahadur Deuba government in February last year and vowed to crush the decade-old Maoist insurgency.