By Our Reporter
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has further expressed his desire to pass the controversial American project Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) from the parliament. Although MCC has also a role in the widening rift in the CPN-UML and for the dispute between Prime Minister Oli and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the former looks adamant to endorse the Rs. 55 billion project, probably to garner the support of the West to lengthen his term in the office.
During an all party-meeting, which was boycotted by the Maoist Centre last week, Prime Minister Oli sought the support of the Nepali Congress and other parties to endorse the project. Although Nepali Congress has always been in favour of the project, the Maoist Centre and a section of the CPN-UML are against the project because of its some controversial provisions. Even NC leader Ram Chandra Paudel suggested endorsing the MCC by making amendments to it.
However, in the meeting, Prime Minister Oli accused Speaker Agni Prasad Sapakota of not tabling the MCC bill. Now when the government had abruptly prorogued the winter session fearing a no-confidence motion from the opposition parties, it is unlikely that the MCC will be endorsed for the other two months.
It is widely believed that the debate for and against the MCC is because of the tussle between the USA and China. China wants to empower its BRI project in Nepal and MCC is believed to be a counterpart of BRI. Again, India has its upper hands in the MCC because of its provisions, PM Oli is now in the situation to forward it to receive a continued backing of India to stay in power because it has now been apparent that Oli has been managing to remain in power because of strong backing from India although he has already been isolated not only from other parties but also within his party—UML, all senior and popular UML leaders are against Oli and his government. Now the situation is such that Oli will create such a situation in which the UML could not remain a united party.
Winter House session ends without business
The winter session of the reinstated House of Representatives was prorogued without discussing and approving any of the 36 bill drafts tabled earlier.
As Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was against the reinstatement of the House, he tried his best to make it dysfunctional without giving a single business. Instead, he recommended for its sudden prorogation fearing registration of a no-confidence motion against the government. Oli is probably the only Prime Minister of Nepal to undermine the people-elected parliament after the restoration of democracy in 1990.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari had prorogued the 7th session of the House of Representatives from 1:00 pm on Monday on the recommendation of the government.
A cabinet meeting held Monday morning had decided to prorogue the session.
No bill drafts were tabled except for 16 condolence messages and two reports of the parliamentary committee, one of them on ‘Nepal Engineering Council-2019’ and another on ‘Federal Civil Service-2018′ in the nine meetings of the winter session of the reinstated House.
Altogether 55 bills – 36 bills that emerged in the House of Representatives and 19 in the National Assembly – were waiting their turn for endorsement.
Bills on Security Council, Human Rights Commission, Pokhara Health and Science Academy, Peace and Security and National Priority Projects’ Fast Construction and Development were distributed to the lawmakers before they could be discussed in detail in the House.
The draft on ‘Nepal Special Service Act-2019’ already completed theoretical discussion.
The winter session of the House that began on March 7 sat only nine times after the Supreme Court reinstated it in a verdict on February 23.
The government had drawn flaks for not giving businesses to the parliament.
The sudden prorogation of the House which was done without consulting with
Speaker Sapkota and opposition parties also drew criticism from the Nepali Congress and other parties. Speaker Sapkota also expressed his dissatisfaction over the sudden prorogation of the House. He said that no consultation was made with him before the prorogation notice came to his office.
A Central Working Committee Meeting of the Nepali Congress on Monday objected to the government move to abruptly prorogue the winter session of the House of Representatives.
Taking the unexpected prorogation of the House seriously, the meeting concluded that it was a move against democratic norms, values and the parliamentary system as the House ended a day before its scheduled meeting was to convene.
“The meeting condemns the government`s autocratic attitudes” read a statement issued by the party after the meeting.
Oli vs Nepal disputes turning costly for UML-led provincial government
The growing rift between the two groups of the ruling CPN-UML—one led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and another by Madhav Kumar Nepal—is likely to culminate in dethroning of all the UML-led provincial governments.
The Karnali episode in which four assembly members of the Nepal-led group voted for Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi of the Maoist Centre against the party instruction is likely to repeat in Lumbini, Bagmati, Gandaki and Province-1 because the cornered UML assembly members can vote against their own party leader.
No confidence motions have already been registered in Gandaki and Lumbini, and the Gandaki government led by Prithvi Subba Gurung is almost sure to collapse next week.
Although Lumbini’s Chief Minister Shanker Pokharel managed to steal four of the Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal assembly members who had signed the no-confidence motion by inducting them into his cabinet, his government will collapse if a few UML lawmakers vote against him or remain absent.
Likewise, Sherdhan Rai of Province-1 is also at risk of losing his position while Bagmati Province Chief Minister Dor Mani Paudel has already been at high risk.
Even the central government could collapse if NC and Maoist-Centre registered a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli because at least 30 lawmakers close to Nepal could cross the floor.
Fearing this, PM Oli not only prorogued the House but initiated measures to expel the lawmakers close to Nepal.
Prime Minister Oli Tuesday sought clarification from 27 of its House of Representatives members, accusing them of acting against the party.
Oli has sent a letter to the party lawmakers seeking clarification as to why they should not be expelled from the parliament.
The party has sought clarification from senior party leaders Jhanal Nath Khanal, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Surendra Pandey, Bhim Rawal, Yogesh, Bhattarai and 22 other members of HoR.
A meeting of the so-called General Convention Organising Committee of the CPN-UML held on Monday had decided to seek final clarification from them.
The party has also sought clarification from four floor-crossing provincial assembly members, Prakash Jwala, Nanda Singh Buda, Amar Bahadur Thapa and Kurmaraj Shahi of Karnali province.
Earlier, the party had suspended four senior leaders, including Nepal, Rawal, Pandey and Ghanshyam Bhusal for six months for carrying out anti-party activities.
Prachanda exercises to oust Oli
Maoist-Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has been trying his best to pull down the KP Sharma Oli-led government.
He has been busy holding meeting within the party, with Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and even Mahantha Thakur of Janta Samajwadi Party Nepal. However, his effort has not yielded any fruit till date as PM Oli has been applying one strategy after another to foil Dahal’s attempt. While giving continuity to his support to the government, Dahal looks desperate to dethrone Oli.
A standing committee meeting of the Maoist Centre on Tuesday discussed the formation of a new government and withdrawal of its support to the KP Sharma Oli-led government.
Briefing media after the standing committee meeting held at the party office Parisdanda, party spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the meeting discussed the formation of a new government and about withdrawing their support to the current government.
The meeting concluded that talks held with political parties to form a new government by removing the current government were positive, he said.
At the meeting, party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda said that the party would decide within a day or two over the formation of the new government.
Stating that the steps were being taken based on an understanding with the Nepali Congress and Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal (JSP-Nepal), Shrestha said, “We are in favour of taking deliberate steps so that there will be no situation of political confusion in the country.”
He said that their wish was that the restored parliament would complete its full term and the government move forward with democratic practices.
The meeting also condemned the abrupt end of the session of the House of Representatives terming it an undemocratic, autocratic and arbitrary move.
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