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| King Jigme Singe Wangchuk ruled Bhutan since 1972 |
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The people of the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan have greeted the announcement of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck's earlier-than-expected abdication with sadness and gratitude.
Wangchuck, 50, on Saturday announced that he was handing over the sceptre to his son, Crown Prince Jigme Kesar Namgyel.
Wangchuck, who took over the throne in 1972 at the age of 16, sought to lift the "Gross National Happiness" of the isolated country of 700,000 people, with policies aimed at preserving the traditional culture and environment of the nation.
He had earlier said he would step down in 2008.
Subjects saddened
"It's a mixed feeling for me," Penden Jamtsho, a government employee in the capital, Thimphu, told Reuters by telephone.
"I am also very sad that our guardian is leaving us, but at the same time happy to see a humble, friendly and polite ruler taking over his majesty's place."
Bhutan, sandwiched between India and China, has remained largely untouched by modern influences, with a limited number of foreign visitors allowed each year. Television arrived in 1999 and the internet a year later.
The kingdom will also formally adopt a constitution later this month and plans to hold parliamentary elections in 2008.
"For the quality of life we enjoyed during his rule, we are ever grateful to him," said Goling Dorji, a businessman in Samdrup Jongkhar, a Bhutan town on the border with northeast India.
"We can't forget what he has done for the happiness, peace and tranquility of our country."
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