Kathmandu : The ruling five-party coalition has formed a three-member task force to reach a settlement on the US-backed Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The task force includes CPN-US leader Jhala Nath Khanal, Nepali Congress leader and communications minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and Maoist center leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

Nepali Congress in favor of MCC, Maoists, Unified socialist and all other parties are in opposition

A meeting of the ruling five-party alliance was held at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Sunday before the all-party meeting. The meeting tasked the three leaders to reach a settlement on the MCC. A leader of the coalition told Nepalpage that the task force would reach concrete conclusions about the MCC after holding discussions with UML and other parties.

Khanal, who led the three-member task force, was also the coordinator of the MCC task force formed by the then CPN . Khanal has been saying that MCC cannot be passed in the status quo. Similarly, Maoist leader Shrestha, who is in the task force, is also on the line that MCC should not be passed in this situation. Minister Karki, who is a member of the task force, is also a signatory of the MCC agreement.

An all-party meeting was held in Baluwatar on Sunday after the formation of the three-member task force. In that meeting, the leaders of all the parties except the Nepali Congress had stated that the MCC could not be passed in the status quo. Despite being invited to the all-party meeting, the main opposition UML was absent. A leader said that the meeting of the coalition had given the task force the responsibility to hold discussions with the UML as well.

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha were of the view that MCC should not be passed without amendment. After Congress leader Gyanendra Karki hinted that MCC should be taken forward, Maoist leader Shrestha had objected that MCC should not be promoted under any circumstances.

Similarly, CPN (US) leader Veduram Bhusal also said that MCC should not be passed without amendment.

Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party leader Prem Suwal said that MCC should be scrapped. According to him, the parties present there including Rastriya Janamorcha and RPP had also opposed MCC.

During the meeting, Ram Chandra Poudel, Ram Sharan Mahat and Gyanendra Bahadur Karki on behalf of the Nepali Congress supported the MCC and said that it should be taken forward.

The ruling coalition parties said the MCC should not be passed in the status quo. Prime minister Deuba’s party Nepali Congress, on the other hand, had said that the MCC should be passed even though the parliament was blocked by the main opposition party UML.

UML chairperson KP Sharma Oli has been saying that the MCC should be passed while he was in the government.