In a major political development, His Majesty King Gyanendra dismissed the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government with immediate effect Tuesday and declared a nationwide state of emergency.

In an address to the nation aired live over the state-owned Nepal Television and Radio Nepal this morning, King Gyanendra said instead of preparing the electorate and political parties for elections and laying the necessary legal, managerial and technical groundwork, time was wasted on paying only lip service on the urgency of holding elections.

“As it is our responsibility to preserve our nationalism, national unity and sovereignty, as well as to maintain peace and security in the country and ensure that the state of the nation does not deteriorate any further, we have, by virtue of the State Authority as exercised by us and in keeping with the spirit of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal-1990, taking into consideration Article 27 (3) of the Constitution, dissolved, effective from today, the current Council of Ministers to fulfill the people’s desire for restoration of peace and security and to activate soon the democratic dispensation. The Council of Ministers to be constituted will be under our chairmanship. This Council of Ministers will give utmost priority to reactivating multiparty democracy in the country within three years with the implementation of effective reforms by restoring peace and security,” His Majesty said.

“We call upon all those who have gone astray, taking up arms against the nation and people, and those who are engaged in criminal activities against peace and democracy, to return to the mainstream of national politics peacefully. We assure all those who avail of this opportunity to join the national mainstream that the state will give them opportunities and rights equal to those enjoyed by all our citizens, without any discrimination whatsoever; neither the people nor the law will tolerate any terrorist activities against the state or its citizens,” His Majesty said.