Chief Election Commissioner Keshav Rajbhandari told reporters he handed over his resignation because legislators accused him of supporting the king's year of dictatorial rule by helping organise municipal elections that the king ordered held in February.

"I have resigned to help the government and in accordance with the aspiration of the people," Rajbhandari said.

The municipal election was unsuccessful, with all major opposition parties boycotting the polls and a low number of both voters and candidates. It was a major blow for Gyanendra's rule.

On Sunday, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Nayan Bahadur Khatri announced he and all four other commission members were resigning.

Lawmakers had accused those officials of failing to perform their duties by not properly investigating human rights abuses during the king's direct rule.

Weeks of violent protests in April forced King Gyanendra to give up absolute power he seized on February 1, 2005. He was also compelled to reinstate Parliament and appoint veteran politician Girija Prasad Koirala as the prime minister.