Nepal president says seeking solution to crisis 'as soon as possible'

Nepal's president said Thursday he was seeking an end to the crisis that has engulfed the Himalayan nation since deadly protests this week ousted the prime minister and left parliament in flames.

"I am consulting and making every effort to find a way out of the current difficult situation in the country within the constitutional framework," President Ramchandra Paudel said in a statement.

"I appeal to all parties to be confident that a solution to the problem is being sought as soon as possible to address the demands of the protesting citizens."

KP Sharma Oli, 73, a four-time prime minister, resigned Tuesday in the face of protests. His whereabouts are unknown.

Constitutionally, 80-year-old Paudel should invite the leader of the largest parliamentary party to form a government.

Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel held talks with key figures and "representatives of Gen Z" on Wednesday, a military spokesperson said, referring to the loose umbrella title of the protest movement.

The army has imposed a curfew in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people, after the worst violence in two decades.

Paudel urged Nepalis to "practice restraint and cooperate to maintain peace and order in the country".