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LONDON: David Cameron became Britain's new prime minister on Tuesday, breaking five days of deadlock after last week's inconclusive general election and becoming the first Conservative premier for 13 years.
Cameron was invited to form a government by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace after Gordon Brown resigned.
Cameron announced he planned to form a "strong" and "stable" coalition government of his Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats.
"I aim to form a proper and full coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats," he said in a speech at Downing Street, shortly after being appointed premier by Queen Elizabeth II.
"I believe that is the right way to provide this country with the strong, the stable, the good and decent government that I think we need so badly," he added.
Brown announced his decision in a statement delivered to a scrum of journalists outside Downing Street, his voice cracking with emotion.
"I've informed the Queen's private secretary that it is my intention to tender my resignation to the Queen," Brown said.
"In the event that the Queen accepts I shall advise her to invite the leader of the opposition (Cameron) to seek to form a government. I wish the next prime minister well as he makes the important choices for the future."
Immediately afterwards, he and his wife Sarah were driven from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace for Brown to offer his resignation to the Queen, which was accepted in a 15-minute meeting.
Some 40 minutes later, Cameron - at 43 Britain's youngest prime minister for around two centuries - arrived at the palace with his pregnant wife Samantha for a ceremony with the Queen known as the kissing of hands.
They left for Downing Street after 25 minutes, their chauffeur-driven Jaguar car, attracting toots and waves from passing vehicles.
In last Thursday's general election, the Conservatives won 306 seats in the 650-member House of Commons - 20 short of a clear majority of 326 - followed by Labour on 258 and the Lib Dems on 57.
Five days of talks were held between Nick Clegg's Lib Dems and Tories - and briefly between the Lib Dems and Labour.
But several Labour lawmakers have effectively conceded to Cameron and the BBC cited a senior Lib Dem official as saying the power-sharing offer from David Cameron's Conservatives was now "the only deal in town."
Tory and Liberal Democrat negotiators emerged after hours of talks late Tuesday and said they were now going to consult their parties.
Brown wished Cameron well as he departed from top-level politics, while acknowledging the personal weaknesses - such as poor presentational skills and impatience - which hampered his three-year premiership.
"Only those who have held the office of prime minister can understand the full weight of its responsibilities and its great capacity for good," Brown said.
"I have been privileged to learn much about the very best in human nature and a fair amount too about its frailties - including my own."
Brown then walked down Downing Street holding hands with his wife Sarah and their two young sons John and Fraser, who were making an extremely rare public appearance.
Brown has spoken to his predecessor Tony Blair by phone, media reports said. Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman will act as caretaker while a leadership campaign takes place which is expected to conclude by September.
In the hours before he quit, Brown faced increasing signs that hopes for a Labour deal with the Lib Dems had faded and that his job was coming to a rapid end.
He had said he would resign as Labour leader on Monday but could have stayed on for several months as a caretaker had Labour struck a deal with the Lib Dems.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said Labour had to accept that it "didn't win" the election while senior Labour lawmaker Stuart Bell had even congratulated Cameron.
Earlier on Tuesday, Cameron had piled pressure on Clegg's party to decide which way to jump after he offered a referendum on their touchstone issue of electoral reform.
"It's now I believe decision time, decision time for the Liberal Democrats," said Cameron. - AFP/de
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