Mr Deuba needs to quickly mobilise support

A senior leader of the main United Marxist-Leninist opposition group, Yubaraj Gyawali, accused the government of abusing its emergency powers.

He said that simply continuing the emergency, which has given the government sweeping powers and seen many civil liberties suspended, would not resolve the bloody conflict.

Mr Gyawali told the BBC that the UML had not made a final decision on which way to vote next Thursday.

The opposition parties also condemned the rebels, and urged them to resolve the conflict through negotiation.

Overseas aid

Extending the emergency requires a two-thirds majority in the 205-seat parliament and, with only 113 seats held by the ruling party, the opposition's support is crucial to Mr Deuba's objectives.

The government's campaign continues

Although all the mainstream political parties had endorsed the government's original bill to impose an emergency, they have recently been critical.

Following a series of bloody attacks by the rebels in which many soldiers were killed, the security forces appear to have taken the battle to the Maoists, with heavy casualties on both sides.

Mr Deuba has just returned from trips to the US and Britain, whose leaders offered him substantial aid to continue the military campaign.

Difficulty ahead

The Maoists have been fighting for the past six years to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with a communist republic.

Their campaign has cost the lives of about 4,000 people, with many casualties over the past six months.

Following recent clashes, rebel leader Prachanda sent several messages to the Nepalese media and political parties offering a ceasefire and fresh peace talks.

Mr Deuba rejected these offers, insisting that the Maoists must disarm first, eschew violence and only then would the government consider resuming negotiations.

Correspondents say he hopes to maintain pressure on the rebels by extending the emergency.