The Nepal cabinet will meet on Monday to consider clamping a state of emergency on the Himalayan Kingdom after more than 100 security forces and Maoist rebels were killed in weekend clashes, a minister said.
Leading daily Kantipur said an ordinance to proclaim a state of emergency and declare the Maoist rebel group terrorists was almost ready. Government officials said a declaration of emergency would allow the deployment of the Royal Nepal Army against the rebels, battling to overthrow the country`s constitutional monarchy, and give security forces sweeping powers to stamp out the violence.
A minister, who asked not to be identified, told a news agency that ``imposition of a state of emergency is a possibility`` after it was discussed at a cabinet meeting on Sunday. The minister said the state of emergency could be imposed throughout the impoverished nation, which draws half a million tourists annually, or be limited to areas racked by the revolt.
In another development, junior minister Deendra Rajraj Kandel told a news agency up to 56 people, mainly Maoist rebels, died in a clash with security forces, bringing the death toll from three days of guerrilla violence to more than 100.
The incident, in Sallery in Solukhumbhu district in eastern Nepal late on Sunday, followed the killing of at least 45 people, mainly security forces, during rebel attacks at the weekend on security posts across the country. Bureau Report