• Lawmakers of ruling alliance oppose tabling of compact

• HoR adjourned till Thursday

KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 20

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki today tabled the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Nepal Compact in the House of Representatives amidst main opposition CPN-UML's continued obstruction of House proceedings.

Stating that the MCC compact was not above Nepal's constitution, Karki said the government was committed to protecting the inviolability of Nepal's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and autonomy.

Tabling the MCC deal in the House, Karki said around 300 km of 420 kV transmission lines shall be built under the MCC project which would directly benefit 230 million people. He said road upgradation to be carried out under the MCC project would directly benefit one million people. He said the road and electricity infrastructure to be built within five years under the $500 million MCC project would spur development across the country and pave the way for export of surplus electricity from Nepal to other countries.

He said the government was committed to abiding by the UN charter, the principle of panchasheel, and the non-alignment policy.

Earlier, Speaker Agni Sapkota said he listed the MCC compact for today's business as people wanted a debate on the issue and parliamentary debate would stop polarisation on the issue. He appealed to the parties to help conduct a debate on the deal. Sapkota postponed today's meeting till 1:00pm on Thursday.

Earlier, CPN-MC Chief Whip Dev Prasad Gurung opposed Sapkota's decision to list the MCC compact in the business list, saying there were unequal provisions in the compact which undermined Nepal's interests. CPN-UML lawmaker Bhim Rawal said the government should not table the compact amidst the main opposition party's continued obstruction.

Nepal Workers and Peasants Party lawmaker Prem Suwal and Rastriya Janamorcha lawmaker Durga Paudel also opposed the speaker's decision to list the MCC compact in the day's business list.

While Karki tabled the compact in the House, UML leader Bhim Rawal and CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Jhalanath Khanal opposed the tabling of the compact and shouted slogans against it.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba held a meeting with ruling coalition partners on the MCC compact. After the meeting, Minister Karki said the MCC compact would be tabled in the House of Representatives today.

After Sapkota listed the MCC compact in today's business list, three lawmakers from the CPN-MC - Dev Prasad Gurung, Rekha Sharma, and Jaypuri Gharti - submitted written resentment at the Business Advisory Committee opposing the proposal to list the compact in today's business list, citing lack of consensus among political parties and continued obstruction by the CPN-UML.

After the HoR meeting today, UML Chief Whip Bishal Bhattarai said his party would continue to obstruct House proceedings unless the party's demands were met. He, however, condemned the double standard of ruling coalition partners, especially the CPN-MC and CPN (Unified Socialist) without naming them. He urged the public to maintain restraint while expressing views on the MCC compact.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 21, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.