KATHMANDU, Feb 22: The ruling coalition partner, the CPN (Unified Socialist) has concluded that the party should not leave the government even if the US-aid project- Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is endorsed through parliament.

A meeting of the party’s Central Secretariat was held on Monday to formulate an official position on the MCC issue after a serious dispute surfaced within the party. The meeting concluded that even if the party had different views on MCC, this should not make any difference to the ruling coalition and the party should not leave the government.

Beduram Bhusal, General Secretary of the party, said that the party was of the view that the ruling coalition would not be affected as not every party would have the same opinion on MCC and each party would have different conclusions. "I do not think we will have to leave the government just because of MCC. Each party has its own views on this issue. They have a different opinion. This practice is also in other countries. Therefore, there is no need to leave the government,” he said.

"The situation of leaving the government comes only if the policies and programs brought by the government and the budget fail," he said. Bhusal also stated that the central secretariat meeting held at the party office on Monday decided to stand in the opposition when the decision on MCC will be taken in the parliament.

Similarly, party spokesperson and deputy general secretary Jagannath Khatiwada also said that the members of parliament of the Unified Socialist would vote in opposition when the MCC decision is tabled. "Our parliamentarians will vote in opposition when the MCC is presented to Parliament for a decision.”

“We have said before that we will not allow it to pass without amendment,” he said.

Khatiwada said that all the 23 lawmakers of his party would be made to stand in opposition when the agreement is voted in parliament for ratification.

 
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