Nepal’s Prime Minister has finally bitten the bullet and the government has tabled the Millennium Challenge Corporation [MCC] in the House of Representatives.
The present coalition of Nepali Congress, Maoist Centre and CPN (Unified Socialist) was split over tabling the MCC for ratification in the House of Representatives.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s key coalition partner, the Maoist Centre, was strongly opposed to tabling of the MCC. Even the Speaker of the House was opposed to the MCC and had been resisting holding sessions so far.
The CPN Unified Socialist has some resistance but was not in favour of disallowing tabling of the MCC compact.
This is expected to lead to a split in the coalition. Prime Minister Deuba could well muster support of the main opposition party the CPN UML which will support the MCC as well as the Deuba government from outside, but for that the coalition will have to be split.Thus how the situation in Nepal develops remains to be seen?
Meanwhile China’s propaganda against tabling the MCC may have led the Government to finally take umbrage to questions raised over taking sovereign decisions
Issuing a press statement on February 20 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said the decision to accept development assistance is taken by Nepal based on our national interest and priorities.
“Nepal has always been pursuing an independent, balanced and non-aligned foreign policy,” read the statement. “Pursuant to this policy, as a sovereign country, Nepal has accepted and utilized development assistance as per her national requirement and priority.”
Earlier the US Embassy had raised issues of disinformation and propaganda over the MCC in Nepal.
The US Embassy is also concerned over disinformation and propaganda the statement from the Embassy in Kathmandu read.
“Disinformation and propaganda have had serious consequences throughout history. State-led disinformation and propaganda have threatened democracies, inflamed wars, and provoked violence,” the US embassy Nepal wrote on Facebook on February 13. “It has fomented distrust of facts, science, and credible journalism.”