Maoist leaders insist on concluding MCC proposal, keeping ruling alliance intact

CPN (Maoist Centre) is of the view of concluding the proposal to ratify the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact by keeping the existing ruling alliance intact. The party, however, is to come up with a new approach in regards to the matter if a condition arrives for discontinuity of the alliance.

An unofficial meeting of the party’s available former standing committee members today stressed the need of keeping the alliance consolidated as it was formed with an objective of safeguarding the Constitution and its termination would not be in the interest of the nation and people. The meeting was held at party Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s Khumaltaar-based private residence.

The House of Representatives (HoR)’s business has got hampered due to continued obstructions from the main opposition CPN (UML). “In the given context, continuity of the alliance is a need of the nation and it should be protected despite political differences over some provisions of the compact,” stressed most of the leaders present in the meeting.

They shared the idea that the party may face an international trust deficit if it contributes to making the proposal fail as the Maoist-led government and ministers from the party also got involved in the MCC compact procedures at different time periods. They floated an idea of supporting the document to get ratified one way or the other.

According to party leader Haribol Gajurel, the meeting was univocal that the alliance should be kept intact despite the party’s differing views in regards to some of the MCC provisions.

Similarly, another leader, Shakti Basnet, said they would meet again to discuss other alternatives for protecting the alliance and taking the MCC proposal to a conclusion.

The ruling parties have so far been unable to build a common understanding of the MCC compact and even some of the coalition members have taken to the street, opposing it. A meeting of the House of Representatives called for today was expected to further proceed with the proposal, but it was postponed till Sunday, citing a special reason.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Dilendra Prasad Badu, met with Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota and urged him to postpone today's meeting and it was adjourned till Sunday.

The next HoR meeting has been scheduled for 1:00 pm on Sunday. Leaders of the ruling coalition said that today's Parliament meeting was postponed as most of the leaders of the ruling alliance stressed the need of moving ahead by forging consensus among the ruling partners in the current situation.