Ruling Nepali Congress (NC) has said the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact should be tabled at the House for ratification after a detailed discussion in the party's central working committee on Thursday.
Former finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat explained in details why the MCC is in Nepal's interest after NC President and Prime Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba asked Mahat to brief him about the MCC during the meeting, according to NC leader Shekhar Koirala.
Koirala told Setopati that the party discussed on the MCC during the meeting and concluded that it is beneficial for Nepal and the American army will not come to Nepal if it is ratified by the House.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting NC Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the largest party in the ruling coalition is in favor of deciding on the MCC Compact through the House.
"It is transparent to send proposal for discussion to the people's representatives. Many rumors have been spread about the MCC. The people's representatives should get to discuss about that," Spokesperson Mahat said. "The House will decide after seeing whether it is good or bad."
He pointed that people have been left confused about the MCC by not presenting it to the House. He stressed that Speaker Agni Sapkota cannot obstruct the MCC when the government has decided to table it in the House. "The functions, responsibilities and rights of speaker are clear. Speaker also understands that very well. He cannot say he can table this and not table that."
He opined that personal comments of any leader does not matter much as the parties inside the ruling coalition also have not officially said that the MCC is not necessary.
A few leaders of CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist) have been publicly saying that the MCC should not be passed without amendment.
The MCC has already told the government that the US$ 500 million MCC grant will be taken back if the House does not ratify the MCC Compact by February end.
The meeting of NC central working committee will also be held on Friday.
CPN-UML has urged for not convening the House of Representatives (HoR) meeting scheduled for February 14 pointing that it has scheduled provincial convention on February 14 and 15.
"We have urged to keep the House meeting before February 13. We have asked to not hold the meeting on February 14 as we have provincial convention on that date," Chief Whip of UML Bishal Bhattarai told Setopati. "We have informed secretary and the general secretary of HoR about that. We have yet to receive reply though."
The main opposition party has been obstructing the House demanding expulsion of the then lawmakers of the Khanal-Nepal faction punished by UML or resignation of Speaker Agni Sapkota for not expelling those lawmakers who are now in CPN (Unified Socialist).
Prime Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba is trying to table the MCC Compact in the House after being told by the MCC that the US$ 500 million MCC grant will be taken back if the House does not ratify the MCC Compact by February end.
But there is no consensus about the MCC in the ruling coalition with CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist) saying that the MCC should not be passed without amendment. The House meeting has been postponed repeatedly as a result.
