FM Khatiwada would have been sued for treason: Rawal

KATHMANDU: Former Deputy Prime Minister and the Standing Committee Member of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Bhim Rawal has said had Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada been in other countries, he would have been sued for ‘treason against the nation’ for supporting the controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact.

Speaking at an interaction organized by ‘Repeal MCC Campaign’ in Kathmandu, former DPM Rawal expressed his utmost anger against incumbent Finance Minister Khatiwada.

“Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada has supported the MCC and still some people are protecting him,” NCP’s influential leader Rawal said in the program, “Had he been in some other countries he would have been tried for treason against state for such action.”

Rawal has been criticizing the government and party leaders supporting one of the mega aid agreed to be provided under MCC compact by the USA.

He is also a member of the ruling NCP’s task force assigned to study and recommend the party the action it should take on MCC issue.

Other leaders of NCP including Standing Committee Member Lila Mani Pokharel, Narayan Sharma, Sadhya Bahadur Bhandari had also spoken against the Compact and demanded the repealing of MCC.

The ruling NCP is divided on whether one of the largest aid grants MCC should be ratified from the parliament and taken ahead for implementation.