KATHMANDU, JULY 20
Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota today directed the government to inform the House of Representatives about the government's decision related to the US State Partnership Programme and its implementation.
The speaker issued the ruling after some lawmakers, particularly those from the CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre voiced concerns about the delay in writing a letter to the US government about Nepal's decision to withdraw from SPP. The government decided on June 21 to withdraw from SPP after communist parties and leaders created ruckus over Nepal's participation in the SPP.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, is yet to write to the US about the government's decision on the SPP.
CPN-MC Chief Whip Dev Prasad Gurung and CPN-UML leader Bhim Bahadur Rawal demanded that the government inform the US government immediately about its decision to withdraw from SPP.
CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Jhalanath Khanal also wondered why a letter had not been written to the US about Nepal's decision to withdraw from SPP. "What has stopped the government from informing the US about its monthold decision to withdraw from SPP?" he asked.
Khanal said the Cabinet was the highest executive body and after it decided to withdraw from SPP, there should have been no delay in informing the US of the Nepal government's decision.
Yesterday, CPN-UML lawmaker Bhim Bahadur Rawal refused to leave the rostrum of the House of Representatives for almost 20 minutes, demanding that the speaker direct the government to write a letter to the US immediately informing it about Nepal's decision to withdraw from SPP.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sewa Lamsal had said at a press conference yesterday that the ministry was still discussing SPP issue. She said disaster assistance and infrastructure issues were involved in this and Nepal had received such assistance in the past well.
Rawal said the foreign ministry's response that it was still discussing the SPP issue was objectionable as it refused to comply with the Cabinet's decision. He said Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who decided to withdraw from SPP under pressure from political parties, could have told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to inform the US about the government's decision.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 22, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
