CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has issued a statement distorting facts after the joint letter he and Prime Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba sent to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) was made public on Sunday.
PM Deuba and Dahal had written to the MCC on September 29 urging it to wait pointing that getting it endorsed by the House will take around four-five months. The letter was made public after Acting Chief Executive Officer of MCC Mahmoud Bah wrote to Deuba and Dahal on February 3 asking the leaders to ratify it by February end saying the MCC board meeting in March will discuss about taking next steps about the MCC Comapct including whether to continue it or not if is not ratified by the House by February end.
Deuba and Dahal had written to the MCC on September 29, 2021 urging it to wait pointing that getting it endorsed by the House will take around four-five months. Bah has asked the duo to take decision by February end pointing that the five months the two leaders sought will finish by then.
Issuing a statement Sunday evening Dahal's secretariat has claimed that the letter was written to safeguard national interest, the ruling coalition and the government as Deuba, who had just become PM defeating regression, was under pressure to endorse the MCC Compact.
Dahal's clarification also mentions that the party is determined on its position that the MCC cannot be passed without any amendment.
Dahal has conveniently skipped the commitments he expressed in the letter sent to the MCC which does not speak about need for any amendment and instead vowed to dispel misunderstandings and apprehensions about the MCC Compact.
PM Deuba and Dahal had expressed commitment in the letter to:
-Discuss the clarifications received from MCC with all the coalition partners to better inform our party members.
-Use Governemnt of Nepal resources to communicate publicly with the Nepali people and state the Governemnt's support for implementing the Compact and to dispel misunderstandings and apprehensions about the Compact.
-Hold a joint press conference with leaders of the coalition partners to demonstrate Government's positive views on the MCC ratification.
-Disseminate accurate information about the Compact through state media.
-Encourage MCA Nepal to complete technical and communication activities that will allow the Comapct to be implemented more quickly, and
-Jointly request the Speaker of the House of Representatives to plan for tabling of the Compact for the ratification as soon as possible.
He has not mentioned about the needs for amendment in the letter and has also not spoken about the need for amendment in his formal meetings with American representatives including Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu who visited Nepal in November 21 and Vice President of the Department of Compact Operations Fatema Sumar who visited Nepal in September 2021.
Speaking with the media in Bharatpur a day after his visit with Lu, Dahal had stated that the party does not want the MCC grant to be taken back. "I had an open discussion with American assistant secretary and ambassador in a cordial environment. I said that we do not want that the American grant be taken back and we have been taking American assistance even in the past," Dahal had said. "I have said that the problem has arisen only due to the differences on the issue of the original MCC agreement and the latest agreement, and we will make effort to find a solution through national consensus."
Dahal and the coalition government also has not fulfilled any commoitment expressed in the joint letter sent to the MCC on September 29.
