Nepal's powerful Maoists will support the country's main political parties in their campaign to restore democracy after King Gyanendra seized power three months ago, a rebel statement said. The monarch stunned the world on Feb 1 when he fired the government, suspended civil liberties and jailed politicians saying the move was necessary to crush the Maoists who are fighting to topple the world's only Hindu ruler and install a single party communist republic. On Sunday, seven centrist and leftist political parties who have often bickered in the past said they will launch a joint programme seeking restoration of democracy including the revival of parliament dissolved in 2002. "It is a progressive step. Our party has decided to help the joint protest movement by the political groups," Maoist chief Prachanda, who uses only one name, said in a statement received by the news agency late on Wednesday. The Maoist overture to the politicians came as US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Christina Rocca, ended a visit to Nepal on Wednesday. She urged the king and the political parties to fight the Maoists jointly and said the revolt was a threat to regional stability. Prachanda made a fresh appeal to the political parties to form an "extensive front" with his group to establish democracy in the impoverished nation perched in the central Himalayas between China and India. There was no immediate comment from the political groups but they have turned down such appeals in the past, asking the rebels to stop violence instead.