Police personnel scattering demonstrators protesting MCC Kathmandu
By Our Political Analyst
The entire nation is divided into two polls on the issue of adoption of the American grant project worth 500 million US dollars, Millennium Challenge Corporation. The present alliance government is also divided into two polls on the issue of rectifying the American grants from Parliament.
Chairman of the CPN-Maoist Center Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that the MCC can be accepted only by making necessary amendments and modifications.
Speaking at a program organized in Kathmandu on Saturday, Chairman Prachanda said that the project can be taken forward only by focusing on the national interest of Nepal and the sentiments of the Nepali people and by answering the questions raised from the initial agreement and many subsequent agreements within the project.
“We are committed to moving forward the grant support with the necessary modifications and amendments. Without modification and without amendment, it will not be accepted”, said Prachanda, who is also a former prime minister. Stating that the MCC was discussed among the coalition partners in the government for the same reason, Prachanda said, “The Prime Minister and I have discussed this issue many times and an all-party meeting was called to discuss on MCC”.
A meeting of the parties in the coalition government has constituted a task force to decide what needs to be modified and amended, he informed.
He also said that the grant money should not be returned. “We don’t want the grant to go back. Nepal needs money for infrastructure development. But in the meantime, what has been done by KP Oli and the Ministry of Finance, raises questions, raises serious concerns among the Nepalese people”.
He said that the political process would not be benefited if the MCC will be taken forward without clarifying the issues raised, adding that it would proceed on the basis of the report of the task force. He informed that discussions are taking place with the American officials and he has said to them that there should not be any pressure from the USA for rectification of the grant.
Meanwhile, speaking at another programme, Home Minister Balkrishna Khand said that MCC is purely a grant project and doubts should not be created on such a grant project.
He said that MCC should be tabled in Parliament without any obstacle.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, extending congratulations to the Maoist Center at the inaugural session of the 8th national convention on Sunday, asked the communist leaders to read the MCC document thoroughly before opposing it.
Deuba said, “MCC is not a traitorous grant project. I am also a patriotic Nepali, not a traitor.”
He urged the communist leaders to rectify MCC from Parliament.
Madhav Nepal, chair, NCP Unified Socialist Party, however, believes, the MCC cannot be endorsed by Parliament without an amendment.
Different opinions among the coalition partners in the government indicate problems within the government partners on MCC.
The main opposition party CPN (UML) chairman KP Sharma Oli has remarked that the government’s stance on MCC should be made clear.
During a brief conversation with media persons at Biratnagar Airport on Saturday, Oli said, “We should not speak about MCC in person. What is the government’s view?” Let’s be clear, then we’ll speak.
“MCC not in Nepal’s interests”
By Our Reporter
CPN (UML) leader Bhim Rawal has said that a strong voice should be raised against MCC.
Leader Rawal pointed out that there is a danger of forming a parallel government in the country if the MCC is passed by the parliament and argued that everyone should raise their voice to stop it.
Speaking at an interaction program on “The Reality of American Democracy and the MCC” in Kathmandu on Saturday, the former deputy prime minister warned that if the MCC will be passed by parliament without amendment, it would turn the country into a conflict of power.
Leader Rawal also reiterated that a patriotic Nepali cannot accept the agreement. He, however, said that the grant project can be accepted after the necessary amendment to the clauses.
“National independence cannot be compromised under any circumstances. It cannot be done”, he added, fact must be taken into account.
Rawal said that any agreement that would jeopardize the country’s sovereignty would not be acceptable to Nepal.
Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN (Maoist) leader Dharmendra Bastola warned that the country would fall into a serious vicious circle if the MCC is passed.
The US wants to control Nepal through MCC. The US is intended to loot in the name of democracy. There is an attempt to rob Nepal through MCC”, he said.
Former Ambassador Lilamani Poudel claimed that the MCC could not be taken forward as it is not in the national interest. He also said that Nepal is ready to move forward with MCC if any agreement against Nepal’s interest will be removed.
A joint front of six communist parties and two revolutionary fronts have been launching demonstrations against MCC.
Last week, the joint front against MCC organised a demonstration programme in front of the MCC Nepal Compact Office located at the Yak & Yeti Hotel and also attempted to enter the House of Representatives premises. The Police had to organize a lathi charge on the demonstrators.
Some demonstrators were injured in the incident.
Mohan Vaidya led NCP Revolutionary Maoist, Nepal Communist Party led by Netrabahandur Chand Biplav, Mohan Bikram Singh led NCP Mashal, C.P. Mainali led NCP ML, Rishi Kattel led NCP, Aahuti led Scientific Socialist Party, among others had organised a joint demonstration against MCC.
The social networking outlets are heavily dominated by remarks of those who are known to be renowned academicians and intellectuals in the country. Former minister Deepak Gyawali, chartered accountant and hydropower expert Ratnasansar Shrestha, senior journalist Nimkant Pandey, Rashtriya Prajatantra Party chair Rajendra Lingden, senior journalist Dhruba H. Adhikari, retired government official Suryaraj Acharya, and many others have remarked MCC as a grant project against the interests of Nepal.
Intellectuals and scholars believe that MCC is an American grant to engage Nepal in the American camp in the latter’s plan for containing China.
Some American officials have claimed that MCC is a part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, a plan developed for encircling China. Nevertheless, of late, the American officials are claiming that there is no vested interest of the US in the MCC grant project besides the infrastructural development of Nepal.
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