Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand held separate meetings with coalition partners CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and major opposition CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli today morning to discuss endorsement of the US-aid project Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact.
The Government of Nepal has already tabled the proposal on MCC Compact in the parliament.
During the meeting with Prachanda, also former Prime Minister held at his residence at Khumaltar in Lalitpur, the two dwelt on contemporary political situation, addressing the parliament impasse and endorsement of the MCC among others, according to the secretariat of Minister Khand.
Minister Khand met CPN UML’s Chairman Oli, also former Prime Minister, at his residence at Balkot in Bhaktapur and deliberated on the issues as discussed with Prachanda including the USD 500 million grant assistance-MCC.
Intensive discussions are underway among the ruling parties and the opposition parties to get the MCC passed by the House after the incumbent coalition government presented it at the parliament on February 20.
The agreement relating to the MCC mandates that it should be ratified by the parliament by February 28 this year. The incumbent government is effortful to forge a broader consensus among all the political parties for the endorsement of the MCC.
Last evening, CPN UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli held a discussion with the Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at his official residence at Baluwatar. The meeting lasted nearly 1.30 hours, but the failed to forge consensus. Chairman Oli and his team had demanded the same issue on Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota. Oli have been repeatedly requesting PM Deuba to address the reservation on Speaker.
UML blames that the Speaker Sapkota was bias on the fate of 14 MPs, who were removed from the party. However, the Prime Minister Deuba could not give words to Oli about the Speaker.
Insiders believe that Deuba is on difficult situation and feeling pressure now whether to keep the present coalition or to go with CPN UML.
