Nepal's King Gyanendra has urged the country's lawmakers to extend a three-month long state of emergency in the wake of the deadliest attacks ever by Maoist rebels.

The king made the appeal in a traditional "democracy day" message Tuesday, marking Nepal's transition from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary system of government in 1990.

King Gyanendra said the country is passing through, what he called, a vulnerable stage, in which security forces are trying to maintain law and order in the face of a Maoist rebellion.

Earlier, Nepal's Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba also appealed for an extension of the state of emergency imposed in November, saying that fighting the rebels will be a long and difficult process.

Mr. Deuba spoke during a stormy debate in Parliament Monday. Many lawmakers accused the government of ignoring calls for help from the far western Acham district - the site of rebel attacks over the weekend.

Maoist rebels killed 137 people - mostly soldiers and police - in Acham late Saturday and early Sunday. The attacks were the deadliest in a six-year insurrection aimed at overthrowing Nepal's constitutional monarchy.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

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