“Failure to ratify the MCC will have serious repercussions for Nepal”
“Failure to ratify the MCC will have serious repercussions for Nepal”
Experts, diplomats and analysts call protests against MCC ‘destructive mentality’
Participants in the “Khabarhub Debate” held at the Pavilion Hall, Durbarmarg, Kathmandu.
KATMANDU: At a time when some political leaders made a lot of noise about the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), experts argue that Nepal could see repercussions if it does not ratify the Pact.
They were unanimous in saying that false and misleading accounts and misinformation against the MCC must be countered.
Misinformation that parliament’s ratification of the MCC meant joining the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS), they argued that the international community would view Nepal as incapable of managing the subsidies.
Participating in the âKhabarhub Debateâ organized by Khabarhub in the capital on Friday, they said that since there were no conditions, the non-ratification of the Compact would create a negative opinion on Nepal at the international level.
Political analyst Arun Kumar Subedi suggested to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to table the Pact in Parliament and approve it, saying, âWithout further ado, Parliament should endorse the MCC Pact by imposing a development emergency in the country. country.
Subedi argued that since this is an economic issue rather than a political one, failing to do so would be unfortunate for Nepal and the Nepalese people. “Or, people will start looking for an alternative to the current system.”
He called the ongoing street protests against the MCC a “destructive mentality” and even criticized the young leaders of the Nepalese Congress for their silence on the issue.
âNC’s reluctance to come out clear has further complicated the problem,â Subedi said.
He wondered why the Nepalese communist leaders are making a hoopla for China when she has not said a word against the MCC.
Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, a hydropower investor, said Nepal should not miss an economic opportunity like MCC at any cost.

“This will have a negative impact on Nepal’s development efforts,” Pradhan said, urging intellectuals and experts to speak out on infrastructure development.
Foreign affairs expert Gopal Thapa suggested an all-party meeting to forge consensus on the issue and approve it by parliament “otherwise the United States could not offer any aid or subsidy to Nepal to the to come up”.
He also strongly criticized what he said: “so-called intellectuals” for making shoddy comments and extreme opinions about the MCC.

Thapa suggested that a country like Nepal should not upset the United States and other donor countries while criticizing the protesters for their “act of stupidity.”
Human rights activist Kapil Shrestha called the protests a sign of “extreme nationalism,” he said, since there are no conditions attached to the MCC and is not part of the Indo strategy. -pacific, parliament should approve it soon.

“People with little knowledge and failed Communists are protesting,” Shrestha said, adding that “misleading and false information must be countered accordingly.”
âThe problem with the MCC in Nepal is due to transparency on the part of the United States,â Shrestha said.
Ganesh Mandal, an activist and intellectual from Madeshi, said that since MCC has come about as a game-changing project, it should not be fired.
“Only people with a criminal mindset oppose it,” he added.

Former Ambassador Vijay Kanta Karna said all claims and arguments against MCC are without merit and ratification of the Covenant will not undermine the sovereignty of Nepal.
“It’s because of the geopolitical rivalry,” he said, adding that the MCC has become a means of gaining political ground.

Foreign affairs expert Saroj Mishra called the anti-MCC rhetoric “ridiculous” asking, “Has China ever openly declared that ratification of the MCC in Nepal would pose a threat to China?” “
Mishra questioned why some Nepalese leaders are more worried about China and suggested direct dialogue between Nepal and the United States on the MCC Compact.

Binoj Basnyat, a (retired) major general and security analyst, said the extreme nationalist rhetoric would impact Nepal’s international relations.
“This is politicization in development,” he said, adding that the political behavior of the leaders has affected the image and relations of the country.

Stating that all of this is due to a lack of balanced diplomatic seriousness, Basnyat said such protests would only push the country into obscurity.
Shailendra Guragain, an energy expert, called the protests a âcommunist narrativeâ that people are disillusioned with.
Political analyst Devesh Jha agrees with Guragain that the protests and misinformation about the MCC have disillusioned the people of Nepal.

Hydropower developer Prakash Chandra Dulal called the protests a âcommunist narrativeâ based on misinformation and disinformation.
The president of the Institute for Strategic and Socio-Economic Research (ISSR), who chaired the session, held the government accountable for being immature while seeking answers on MCC.

