KATHMANDU, Feb 17: A meeting of the ruling alliance held on Thursday to forge consensus on tabling Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement in parliament ended inconclusively after the coalition partners — CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist)-- maintained that they are against tabling agreement in parliament until the obstruction caused by the main opposition party in parliament is lifted.
The meeting touted as a 'decisive' one held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Baluwatar ended with an agreement to meet again at 10 AM on Friday, according to Minister for Information and Communication Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki. Sources said Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is disappointed with the position held by the coalition partner on the MCC agreement as convincing the UML to lift obstruction in parliament is not possible by keeping the current alliance intact.
NC General Secretary Gagan Thapa had proposed passing a resolution motion before the ratification of MCC agreement through parliament. Thapa had proposed to include in the resolution motion a committment of all parties to withdraw the MCC Compact agreement if there is breach of the agreement.
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However, Maoist Center Chairman Dahal had argued that his party was not in position to endorse the agreement even if such resolution motion is introduced.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Deuba had expressed his party’s intention to table the MCC agreement in parliament at any cost. "No matter what you say the government will table the MCC agreement in parliament," a leader quoted Prime Minister Deuba as saying during the meeting.
Prime Minister Deuba, who is bent on tabling the MCC agreement in parliament, reached the residence of CPN-UML Chairman K P Oli in Balkot to discuss lifting parliament obstruction and ratifying MCC agreement through parliament shortly after the meeting of the ruling alliance ended without a positive outcome. He was accompanied by his wife Dr Arzu Deuba Rana.
Earlier in the morning, Deuba had sent Dr Minendra Rijal to hold a meeting with Chairman Oli. Sources claimed that the meeting focused on forging discussing possible alliance between the NC and the UML.
Party insiders said Deuba has already made up his mind to even forge an alliance with UML if the latter agrees to ratify the MCC agreement through parliament. NC leaders have argued that they should be ready even to impeach the speaker if he does not cooperate with the government to table the MCC agreement in parliament.
