Nepal's King Gyanendra has said his country was peaceful after he imposed emergency rule more than two months ago to tackle a Maoist revolt that killed over 11,000 people.
"Everyone has experienced a steady improvement in the law and order situation due to the efficiency of our dedicated security forces," King Gyanendra said in a message marking the Nepali new year, broadcast on state radio and TV.
King Gyanendra
Most recently Nepali solders have killed at least 64 Maoist insurgents in two separate gunbattles in the Himalayan kingdom, the army said today, a week after troops gunned down 113 rebels in the west of the country.
The biggest firefight took place on Wednesday at Dalphing in Rukum district, about 550 kilometres west of the capital, Kathmandu, where troops killed about 60 Maoist rebels. In another firefight in the west of the country, the army said soldiers killed four Maoist rebels
The rebels have been fighting since 1996 to overthrow the monarchy and set up a single-party communist republic.
King Gyanendra stunned the world on February 1st when he sacked the government, jailed political leaders, suspended civil liberties and ordered a crackdown on Maoist rebels. He said he had been forced to act because squabbling political parties had failed to crush the insurgency.
In his message today, the king said he planned to hold elections to municipal assemblies by April next year but was silent on when there might be national elections that have not been held since 2002.
India and London have cut military aid to press the king to restore democracy and civil liberties.