NEPAL: Nepal's King Gyanendra yesterday announced a 10-member cabinet dominated by his own supporters 24 hours after dismissing his coalition government, declaring emergency rule and cutting off his impoverished Himalayan kingdom from the world.
The king who is worshipped as a god in the world's only Hindu kingdom is to head the newly appointed cabinet, state radio said in a report that was sketchy on details.
Additional riot police and soldiers patrolled the streets of the capital, Katmandu, where civil liberties were severely curtailed and press censorship imposed.
"The king has expressed confidence that everyone will support and co-operate with the new cabinet," the palace said in a statement.
Shortly afterwards the newly sworn-in Home Minister, Mr Dan Bahadur Shahi, said the government would soon be approaching Maoist rebels who are fighting to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic since 1996, for talks.
The Maoists, who control the majority of Nepal's 75 districts, broke off peace talks in August 2003. They were wary of invitations from Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's ousted government to renew peace talks, insisting that real authority remained in the hands of the king who commands the army that has been deployed against them.
Maoist guerrilla leader Prachanda, however, urged "pro-people forces of the world" to oppose the king's power grab, denouncing him as a "national betrayer".
He said the Maoists were prepared to co-operate with other political forces by establishing "a broad front with all that are against feudal autocracy" in a wholly confused situation made worse by the king's "coup".
Dozens of politicians were arrested and many more have gone underground to avoid detention after the king dismissed Mr Deuba's government for failing to "hold elections and to protect democracy and multi-party rule".
Meanwhile, India condemned King Gyanendra's actions and declared it would not take part in next week's South Asian summit in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, as attending it would merely endorse the Nepali monarch's actions.