JHAPA, JANUARY 6
Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwo Prakash Sharma said he is against taking foreign assistance by accepting unreasonable conditions.
Sharma expressed his views during a welcome programme organised by his party's Number 1 Regional Committee in Mechinagar in his home district. "We cannot accept any foreign assistance at the cost of our national sovereignty and dignity, period," he said.
Further, the ruling party leader admitted there are differences among political parties about ratifying the American aid programme Millennium Challenge Corporation from the Parliament, but added that any decision on it would be taken through talks and consultation.
Sharma, however, also cautioned against extreme nationalist sentiments and highlighted the need of foreign aid for the development of the country.
"There is no way we can accept assistance with unacceptable strings attached, but again we should not forget that we need foreign assistance for development," he observed, reminding the audience of what the protest against Arun III Hydropower Project more than two decades ago did to the nation.
"Because we rejected foreign investment in Arun III Hydropower Project 27 years ago, we are suffering from load shedding problem till this date, so it should be a lesson for us when we go overboard in our protest against foreign assistance," he said. Sharma said the party shouldn't delay in appointing office bearers in different positions in the party and its committees and departments.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 7, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
