Despite being criticised for his decision to impose emergency rule in the country, the Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday appealed to lawmakers to support the measure for full six months to counter Maoist rebels. Addressing the opening of the 21st Parliament session, Deuba asked all political parties to endorse the emergency imposed on November 26 after the Maoists broke a four-month ceasefire reached after Deuba assumed office.

"The state of emergency must be extended to whole six months from the date of its declaration to defeat the Maoist terrorists, who have been unleashing violent insurgency in the country for the last six years," he said.
Defending his record, Deuba told the Parliament that the measures taken against the rebels had been agreed to by all parties to help restore law and order.
"The army has been mobilised as per the mandate of all the political parties," he said.
"The government was liberal towards rebels while trying to hold peaceful dialogues with them but we were forced to declare emergency after they deceived us," he said.
Under the provision of the Nepalese Constitution, the emergency proclaimed by the King must be endorsed by a two-third majority in the House of Representatives within three months in order to make it effective for a six-month period.
Bureau Report