KATHMANDU: The government has backed out from tabling the United States grant Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement in the parliament session to take place Tuesday.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government was preparing to move MCC forward in the parliament by holding talks with all parliamentary parties. An all-party meeting was also convened to seek consensus on the issue on Sunday.
However, after some of the ruling coalition partners expressed reservations about forwarding MCC in the parliament, the government has backed out from its plan.
The possible agenda published by the Parliament Secretariat Monday has no mention of MCC on it. Tuesday’s agenda in the parliament include tabling ordinances to amend some acts related to sexual violence and criminal offenses and criminal procedure.
Meanwhile, after the all-party meeting held Sunday concluded inconclusively, the ruling coalition formed a three-member task force to discuss MCC with other parties to reach an understanding. The task force includes senior CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Jhala Nath Khanal, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and CPN (Maoist Center) Vice Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha.
It is also learnt that PM Deuba mobilized Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dilendra Badu and Nepali Congress whip Pushpa Bhusal to hold discussion with Speaker Agni Sapkota on moving forward MCC in the parliament.
However, Speaker Sapkota told Deuba’s envoys MCC could not be tabled at present citing the main opposition’s ongoing obstruction in the parliament. According to Speaker Sapkota’s secretariat, Sapkota is clear that MCC can be forwarded only after meeting two conditions: all-party consensus and end to obstruction in parliament.
Comment