KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is emphatically in favor of ratifying the Millennium Challenge Corporation-Nepal Compact despite being aware of the fact that four communist parties (barring Nepali Congress) in the ruling coalition would create trouble at the behest of China.
This was evident when the (communist) leaders of the ruling coalition at the all-party meeting on Friday– boycotted by the main opposition CPN-UML — opposed PM Deuba’s idea of moving it forward in the Parliament.
The communist party leaders, who have been shouldering PM Deuba to lead the government, reiterated their regular stances saying some clauses of the MCC agreement will undermine Nepal’s sovereignty and that it cannot be endorsed in its current status.
It should be recalled that a meeting of the MCC Board of Directors held recently in Washington said, “The Board of Directors made note of the commitment by the government of Nepal to seek to ratify the compact in the near term.”
Now, PM Deuba is in a dilemma. If his government tabled the MCC in the parliament for ratification, there are chances that the coalition could break since Chitra Bahadur KC, Chairman of the Rastriya Janamorcha, has reiterated that his party will pull out of the coalition if the government moved the MCC forward.
Moreover, there are equal chances of it being rejected by a majority in the Parliament even if it is moved forward.
PM Deuba, perhaps, is putting all efforts to ratify it and even if it is delayed, he would try to communicate to the US that he has been trying to move the MCC forward since he has got a loud and clear message from the US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu during his Nepal visit who said, “The US will not compel Nepal to ratify the MCC. If Nepal does not take the grant, we will spend the money in some other country.”
Sources have to claim that Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” has asked PM Deuba not to take a decision on the issue before December 28 – the date when the Maoist Centre’s national conference will conclude.
Prior to flying back to the United States, Lu said he suggested Nepal “took a consultative and democratic approach” to endorse it.
However, sources claimed that the communist parties are under pressure from China to not endorse the MCC at any cost.
Consider this: On December 13, a Chinese official, Chen Chao, who is also the Deputy Minister of International Affairs under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, in a video conversation with UML leader Shankar Pokhrel, had urged the latter to “reconsider” the party’s position on MCC before endorsing it.
Meanwhile, Khabarhub recently published a story on the basis of a highly confidential document prepared by Nepal’s security authorities stating that China is “playing a role” in souring Nepal’s relations with third countries, particularly with the United States, and is currently actively propagating, lobbying and spending against the MCC.
Interestingly, the CPN-UML, which was in favor of endorsing the MCC while in the government, has changed its position saying the ball is in the court of the coalition government, and that UML, as the main opposition, will make its stance clear later.
A Nepali political leader, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “China does not want MCC to be endorsed at any cost. Therefore, it is piling pressure on Nepal’s left parties to stand against MCC.”
Analyst Saroj Mishra meanwhile is of the view that a handful of Nepalis consider themselves “more Chinese than the Chinese themselves” when it comes to ratifying MCC.
According to him, some Nepali leaders, mainly the communists, are acting like Nepal is China’s protectorate, and are worried that Nepal would go out of China’s grip.
Mishra views that the time has come to decide and act – for or against MCC as general people, who have absolutely no idea about MCC, have been provoked and have been brought down to the streets.
During Sunday’s all-party meeting, all political parties, except for the NC, were unanimous to “suggest” PM Deuba not to take MCC forward without a greater consensus.
The Maoist Center, a major partner in the PM Deuba-led coalition, has clearly told the Prime Minister to wait for some time, which means that it, too, is not in favor of endorsing it.
Sources have to claim that Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” has asked PM Deuba not to take a decision on the issue before December 28 – the date when the Maoist Centre’s national conference will conclude.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress joint general secretary Jeevan Pariyar recently said that the MCC would be endorsed from the Parliament only after parties in the ruling alliance agreed for the same.
Foreign affairs expert Arun Kumar Subedi says people who are against MCC are supporting China, China’s policy, North Korean policy, and the Venezuelan ruling system, which means that it is a clear gesture that China is behind it.
Also Read,
Nepal’s security agencies see China’s hands in stirring anti-MCC outrage
Anti-MCC people have nexus with China: Foreign Affairs expert Arun Subedi
Hard-core China supporters are against MCC: Prof. Mishra (With Video)
Police complaint filed against misinformation about MCC on social media
Fact Check: How fake news on MCC Compact is creating a sensation in Nepal?
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