KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 10
National Assembly member and Coordinator of Nepali Unity National Campaign Bamdev Gautam today issued a press release calling on the United States of America to withdraw the Millennium Challenge Corporation agreement that Nepal has signed with the USA.
Gautam, who recently quit the CPN-UML, stated in his press release that there was no possibility of the Parliament ratifying the MCC agreement and the best thing would be that both the Government of Nepal and the USA, or at least the USA, withdrew the MCC agreement.
Gautam said the deal would do more harm than good. He said some political parties were suggesting a middle path, saying they would support parliamentary ratification of the deal if it was amended, but there was no such possibility. The USA had recently written to the Government of Nepal clarifying that substantial provisions of the deal could not be amended.
Although Nepal's bilateral relations with the USA have been friendly, Nepali people started expressing doubts about US intentions after the MCC deal.
People are expressing doubt that ratification of the MCC deal could lead to souring of Nepal's ties with its neighbours and the implementation of the MCC deal could undermine Nepal's independence and sovereignty, Gautam stated.
He said in the present circumstances, it was difficult for the government and the Parliament to ratify the deal.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 11, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
