KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepali King Gyanendra unveiled a 10-member cabinet for his new government on Wednesday, a day after he sacked the prime minister for failing to hold elections or to end an escalating civil war with Maoist rebels.
The new cabinet was formed as the rebellion-racked country remained virtually cut off a day after the king assumed power in place of sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and put many politicians under house arrest, Indian television said.
The king's action to take power for the next three years has drawn condemnation from the United States and from neighboring India.
Among those appointed to the new cabinet were Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi and Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey as well as a new finance minister, New Delhi Television (NDTV) network said.
The king, who came to power after a palace massacre in 2001, has declared a state of emergency, the Press Trust of India (PTI) has reported, quoting Nepal's state-run television.
The Maoist rebels, who have been fighting to topple the constitutional monarchy since 1996, called for a three-day general strike from Wednesday to protest against the king's actions, PTI said.
The rebel leader, Prachanda, who uses one name, said the king's action smacked of "medieval feudal autocracy."
Nepal is locked in a bitter three-way struggle between the king, the rebels and bitterly divided political parties.
Sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was Nepal's 13th premier in 14 turbulent years as a constitutional monarchy. The country has had no parliament since 2002.
Phone links with the impoverished country, snapped after the king's move, continued to be disrupted.
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