KATHMANDU: CPN-Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has urged lawmakers to wait for a few more days after party leaders demanded to pull out of the government as per the decision of the parliamentary party following the tabling of the US grant Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in parliament.
Top leaders of the four ruling parties on Sunday morning agreed to table MCC in parliament; however, the rank and file of the parties did not follow through.
Maoist Center Chief Whip Dev Gurung, leaders Jaipuri Gharti and Rekha Sharma dissented the leadership’s decision and put forth dissenting views in the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee held before the parliament session convened. Maoist leader Gurung even opposed the MCC in the parliament meeting.
As Minister of Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki tabled MCC in parliament today, some Maoist lawmakers protested while some leaders, including Prachanda, remained seated. Giriraj Mani Pokharel was also one of the protesters.
Maoist Chief Whip Gurung and others were eager to talk to Chair Prachanda inside the parliament hall. Nevertheless, they held discussions after exiting the parliament hall.
In the discussion, Maoist lawmakers demanded the leadership to pull out of the government immediately as per the decision of the parliamentary party. A lawmaker told that they asked Prachanda to quit the coalition instantly, to which the Maoist Chair responded, “Let’s wait and watch for a day or two.”
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