July 15, Kathmandu.
The responsibility of passing the US ५० 500 million MCC agreement with the US government when he was the Prime Minister in 2074 BS has finally fallen on the shoulders of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
At the time, Deuba's confidant Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, as finance minister, had signed an agreement with the US government with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Karki is still in Deuba's cabinet but as law minister.
Deuba is known as a leader who has good relations with the United States and other western countries, so many understand that he will move the MCC forward. While in the Opposition, Deuba has repeatedly stated in public that the MCC should be passed as it is.
After Deuba was sworn in as the Prime Minister on Tuesday, US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry was the first to congratulate him. After meeting with the US ambassador on Thursday, Deuba tweeted, "I want to deepen the relationship and partnership between Nepal and the US during my tenure."
One of the important priorities of the US government in Nepal at this time is the approval of the MCC. There is no dispute within the ruling Nepali Congress over the passage of the MCC. However, within the CPN-Maoist, a key component of power, there are differing views on the MCC.
Some Maoist leaders are in favor of not passing the MCC under any circumstances. Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, on the other hand, said that some amendments were needed but he was giving a public statement in favor of passing it in principle.
Diplomatic affairs expert Geja Sharma Wagle says implementing the MCC signed during his tenure will be Deuba's top priority. "But with the Maoists in the coalition having reservations in the MCC, Deuba now seems to be giving high priority to the implementation of the MCC in consultation with the major political parties, including the Maoists, and to save the face of the Maoists," Wagle said. Yes. Deuba needs to assimilate that reality. '
Outgoing Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli tried hard to pass the MCC but it was not successful. Oli had publicly accused former Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Speaker Agni Sapkota of not cooperating in passing the MCC. Former Foreign Minister and CPN-UML spokesperson Pradip Kumar Gyawali have said that they are in favor of approving the MCC.
Some leaders in the UML's Madhav Kumar Nepal group are opposing the MCC. If Deuba moves forward with MCC approval, Oli seems to be fully supportive. The party had formed a task force after a dispute over the MCC within the then CPN (Maoist). But the task force was divided over whether to pass the MCC after the amendment.
Deuba, who has just been sworn in as prime minister, has not begun discussions on passing the MCC in the coalition, his first priority being a vote of confidence in parliament. The MCC, which is scheduled to come into force in June 2019, has not received parliamentary approval even after two years.
Although the MCC Nepal office has started the pre-preparation works, the work has not been able to proceed due to a lack of approval. The role of Speaker Sapkota seems to be important for MCC approval. The United States has also said it cannot wait long for the MCC.
The last time the MCC board chaired by the US Secretary of State discussed the pending MCC project in Nepal was on June 30 this year. Nepal will now be discussed at the MCC Board meeting in September. The board may also announce the cancellation of projects that have been pending for a long time or are not being implemented.
As a bilateral agreement, the government has registered it in the Parliament Secretariat for approval on 30 July 2076 BS. Despite Oli's decision to dissolve parliament and go to the polls in May, Nepal's ambassador to the United States, Yuvraj Khatiwada, said talks had begun with the US side on an alternative way to pass the MCC. The United States has said it is ready to clarify some of the ambiguous provisions in the MCC if it is guaranteed approval.
But there is no guarantee that the MCC will be approved by the reconstituted parliament. If Deuba fails to get a vote of confidence, parliament will naturally dissolve again. As a coalition government, mobilizing the support of all political parties also seems very challenging for Deuba.
