Kathmandu, Feb 20: The Nepal government on Sunday tabled the contentious USD 500 million Millennium Corporation Challenge (MCC) programme of the US in Parliament for ratification, amid vociferous protests against the grant assistance, which has resulted in sharp political polarisation in the Himalayan nation.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” and CPN-Unified Socialist chief Madhav Kumar Nepal were among the top leaders who attended a joint meeting of coalition partners on Sunday morning at Deuba’s official residence at Baluwatar, where it was decided to unanimously present the agreement in Parliament. However, when Minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki tabled the agreement in the House of Representatives, it was greeted by raucous protests by certain members of the ruling party as well as opposition lawmakers.
Outside the Parliament, members of smaller factions of the Communist Party and several pro-left youth outfits staged rallies and chanted anti-US slogans, causing police to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters, officials said.
Meanwhile, Speaker Agni Sapkota adjourned the House session after certain opposition lawmakers spoke against the agreement.
The next meeting of the House is scheduled to take place on February 24, sources said.
Nepal’s political parties are sharply divided on whether to accept the US grant assistance under the MCC agreement, which is under consideration in the House of Representatives.
Nepal’s Leftist political parties have been opposing the pact, saying it was not in national interest and that it was meant to counter China.
On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin in Beijing said that China is “glad to see” international assistance to Nepal but it should come without any political strings attached.
Reacting to China’s statement, the US embassy here said, whether Nepali leaders ratify MCC is a decision for Nepal to make, as a sovereign democratic nation, and Nepal’s decision alone.
“The USD 500 million MCC grant is a gift from the American people and a partnership between the two countries that will bring jobs and infrastructure to Nepal and improve the lives of Nepalis”, the US embassy said in a statement on Saturday.
“This project was requested by the Nepali government and the Nepali people and designed to transparently reduce poverty and grow the economy of Nepal,” it said.
Nepal and the US in 2017 signed the MCC agreement, meant for building Nepal’s infrastructure such as electric transmission lines and improvement of national highways. (PTI)
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