Kathmandu: With the decision of the five parties in the ruling alliance to table the America-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)’s Nepal compact in parliament, Nepal’s communist forces and pro-monarchists have started demonstrations in Kathmandu. At the same time, new developments are taking place in major political parties. Here’s the update of the latest development:
– The main opposition CPN-UML boycotted the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee on Sunday. The main opposition has long been obstructing the House demanding either resignation of the house Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota or action against 14 lawmakers expelled by the party.
– In the Business Advisory Committee meeting of parliament, three Maoist leaders–Dev Gurung, Onsari Gharti Magar and Rekha Sharma–submitted the note of dissent to Speaker Sapkota.
– The Parliament Secretariat has included MCC as an agenda for today’s House meeting. Finance Minister Janardan Sharma is scheduled to table MCC Compact in the parliament.
– Minister Sharma, who was supposed to table the Compact in the parliament, will remain absent in today’s meeting citing ill health. Minister for Information and Communications Gyanendra Bahadur Karki will table the Compact in the meeting.
– Minister of Information and Communications Gyanendra Bahadur Karki tabled the Compact amid obstruction of House proceedings by main opposition CPN-UML. Soon after Minister Karki tabled the Compact, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota scheduled the next House meeting for February 24.
– Speaking with journalists after today’s House meeting, Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa said he is confident that the leaders who participated in the House meeting that tabled the Compact will participate in its voting process as well.
– “MCC Compact has entered the Parliament. Some lawmakers have already expressed their opinions regarding the Compact. Discussion has begun from today. This is a positive sign,” said Dilendra Prasad Badu, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
– “Party’s meeting yesterday expressed dissent on the MCC Compact. But, Parliament is the place where amendments can be made. So we have decided to let the Compact be tabled and discussed in the parliament,” said Ram Kumari Jhakri, Minister for Urban Development.
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