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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House said that it had "real concerns" about the February 1 power grab by Nepal's King Gyanendra and urged him to enact democratic reforms.

AFP Photo

"We have real concerns about the steps back from democracy that have been taken in Nepal," said spokesman Scott McClellan. "We will continue to make our views known to the government in Nepal."

Gyanendra, who controls the army, last week fired the government for failing to organise elections and for failing to end the Maoist insurgency, named a loyalist cabinet under his chairmanship, declared a state of emergency and pledged to restore multi-party democracy in three years.

In the meantime scores of political leaders, party and union leaders are under arrest, press censorship has been imposed and any criticism of the king's action has been banned.

"We urge everybody to continue to move forward on democratic reforms, and that includes the government of Nepal. It is a concern, the steps that they have taken," said McClellan.

Washington provides Nepal's army with badly needed weapons and training in its fight against Maoist rebels, considered by Washington as terrorists. The revolt has claimed more than 11,000 lives since 1996.