NC Whip Bhusal presses for tabling MCC in parliament soon - Khabarhub
KATHMANDU: Whip of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) Parliamentary Party Pushpa Bhusal has stressed the need for tabling and discussing the US's Millennium
KATHMANDU, Feb 21: The government on Sunday tabled the Millennium Corporate Challenge (MCC) in parliament despite huge public outcry and protests.
The main opposition party, CPN-UML has not made its position regarding the MCC so far and members of the ruling alliance share different views on the agreement. Cadres of the CPN (Maoist Center), a key member of the ruling alliance, have taken to streets opposing the MCC ratification.
As the compact has already been tabled in parliament, here is what the MCC requires to be ratified:
Article 279 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal states that the ratification of, accession to, acceptance of, or approval of, treaties or agreements to which Nepal or the Government of Nepal is to become a party shall be as provided for in the Federal law.
- General discussion regarding the ratification of, accession to, acceptance of, or approval of the compact in the next parliament meeting as per House of Representatives Regulations (2075)
- Discussion regarding provisions of agreement or agreement itself or let the concerned committee to study the agreement
- As the deadline for the ratification of the MCC is nearing, the parliamentary committee is unlikely to be asked to conduct the study as it will be time consuming. So the government is very much likely to conduct discussions and study in parliament itself.
Does the MCC require a general majority or two-third majority to be ratified?
As per the Constitution of Nepal, four types of treaties or agreements require a two-third majority for ratification.
They are:
a) peace and friendship
(b) defense and strategic alliance
c) boundaries of the State of Nepal, and
d) natural resources, and the distribution of their uses.
Also, the Article 279 (2) also states that if any treaty or agreement is of an ordinary nature, which does not affect the nation extensively, seriously or in the long term, the ratification of, accession to, acceptance of, or approval of, such treaty or agreement may be made by a simple majority of the members present in a meeting of the House of Representatives.
KATHMANDU, Feb 20: The government tabled the Millennium Corporate Challenge (MCC) in parliament on Sunday.
Minister for Information, Communication and Technology, Gyanendra Karki on the behalf of the Finance Minister Janardan Sharma tabled the MCC.
With this, the $500 million American grant will now require general majority of parliament for ratification.
Nepal had signed the compact with the United States of America in 2017.
KATHMANDU, Feb 16: Law Minister Dilendra Badu maintained that the Millennium Corporate Challenge (MCC) will be tabled in parliament on Friday.
Earlier, the government had decided to table the MCC in parliament on the House proceedings of Wednesday which was later postponed for Friday after the ruling alliance failed to reach a consensus regarding the ratification of the $500 million American grant.
“We were asked for two days' time to forge consensus among the ruling alliance. Further discussions will be held in the next two days and the MCC will be tabled on Friday,” said Law Minister Badu.
Minister Badu also maintained that the MCC cannot remain in limbo and need to be tabled in parliament for further proceedings.
Meanwhile, Protests have erupted in the capital against the MCC.
KATHMANDU, Feb 16: The ruling Nepali Congress (NC) on Tuesday decided to table the Millennium Corporate Challenge (MCC) in parliament for its ratification.
Following the party’s decision, some of the political parties have announced Nepal Banda in Kathmandu and the parties in parliament seem divided regarding the $500 million grant of the United States of America (USA).
The ruling alliance which includes NC, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) and Rastriya Janamorcha Party, is largely divided regarding the MCC.
There are currently 271 lawmakers in parliament including the Speaker of the House. With one independent lawmaker, there are representatives of nine political parties in the lower house of parliament.
The main opposition party, CPN-UML, is the largest party in parliament with 98 lawmakers, followed by NC with 63, MC with 49 including Speaker, CPN (US) with 23, JSP with 21 and Loktantrik Samajbadi with 13 lawmakers.
Likewise, Rastriya Janamorcha, Nepal Workers Peasant Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party have one lawmaker each in parliament.
For ratification of the MCC, it requires a majority of 136 votes in parliament with 271 members. But currently, NC lawmaker Bijay Kumar Ghachadar and Hari Narayan Rauniyar are suspended, lawmakers Mohamad Aftab Alam and Resham Chaudary are in jail, due to which the total number of lawmakers in parliament stands at 267. In this case, 134 is a majority vote.
What is the position of major political parties?
1) Ruling Nepali Congress with 61 lawmakers in parliament is all in for ratification of MCC. Nc seems ready to break the coalition or oust Speaker Sapkota to get MCC ratified.
2) UML, the main opposition party and currently the largest party in parliament with 98 lawmakers, has not maintained its position regarding the compact yet. But the party has maintained to support NC if it breaks the ruling coalition.
3) CPN (Maoist Center) with 48 lawmakers in parliament has maintained that it will be unethical for the party to remain in the government if it decides to table the MCC in its ‘existing form’. The party has already made it clear that it will not remain in the government if it tables the MCC.
4) CPN (Unified Socialist) with 23 votes in parliament which is likely to follow the path of CPN (MC) has not stated its position regarding the MCC so far.
5) JSP with 19 votes in parliament is divided regarding the ratification of the MCC. Leader Babu Ram Bhattari and majority of the party's lawmakers are supporting the MCC while Chairman Upendra Yadav has not stated his position yet.
6) Loktantrik Samajbadi Party with 13 lawmakers in parliament has stood in support of the MCC.
7) Rastriya Janamorcha, Nepal Workers Peasant Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party with one lawmaker each, have vowed to vote against the MCC in parliament if it is tabled on Wednesday.
KATHMANDU, Feb 14: Leader of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC), Ram Chandra Poudel has maintained that the Millennium Corporate Challenge (MCC) will now be tabled in parliament.
No one can avoid the MCC from tabling in parliament, Poudel said, speaking during an event organized by the Bhanubhakta Literature Study Committee.
Leader Poudel also accused the Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) of barring the lawmakers from tabling the MCC in parliament.
Besides, Poudel also maintained that the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana was a much needed move. At the time when the Nepal Bar Association and Justices of the Supreme Court are raising questions against CJ Rana, registration of the motion is natural. “Besides, CJ Rana himself had opted for the motion over resignation,” he added.
