KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 28

CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed satisfaction over the parliamentary ratification of the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact.

Organising a press conference here today, Dahal said his party agreed to pass an interpretative declaration along with the MCC compact as it would have a binding effect on the other party - the United States of American - which has pledged a grant of $500 million for the construction of electricity transmission lines and road upgradation project.

'People are saying that this interpretative declaration is meaningless, but I want to tell them that this is not like the stricture that the House had passed with regard to Mahakali treaty.

'This interpretative declaration is binding on the USA as well,' Dahal added.

He said the US Embassy was also consulted on the draft of the interpretative declaration and it was okay with the same.

'I am happy with the passage of the MCC' Nepal compact.

This has saved the constitution, as well as the country,' Dahal added.

Dahal said he held talks with CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba as his party wanted to forge national consensus on the issues.

However, that was not possible because Oli kept raising his party's demands - either the 14 CPN-UML lawmakers be expelled from the Parliament or Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota resign from his post.

Dahal said although his party had initially decided to vote against the MCC compact, it later decided to pass it, along with the interpretative declaration, to save the constitution and the peace process.

'Had we not supported the MCC compact, it could have led to the breaking up of the coalition government and derailment of the constitution and the comprehensive peace process,'

CPN-MC Chairman Dahal added.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 1 2022, of The Himalayan Times.