• Mahendra Pandey
The philosopher Chanakya has said, “Illusion is the best weapon that a fool can use in his favor.” Attempts are being made to provoke the Nepali people by using this illusion. That is the chapter of the effort – the ‘MCC case.’ It has been almost three years since the intense debate on MCC started in Nepal. The MCC is an organization established by the US Congress to provide financial assistance to poor countries. When the agreement was signed between the organization and the Government of Nepal in August 2074, there was great enthusiasm in the country. Everyone was welcome. When a crisis arose within the then ruling party CPN (Maoist) over power-sharing between the Prime Minister and Chairman KP Sharma Oli and another Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, the MCC came to the fore. Oli’s opponents within the CPN (Maoist) could not directly raise the issue of power sharing. They made MCC a weapon. They besieged Oli, saying the MCC was a treasonous agreement and should be stopped. This is the reason why MCC is like a bone stuck in the neck at this time, neither swallowing nor vomiting.
Prime Minister Deuba, who is also the president of the Nepali Congress, is facing the biggest crisis when the MCC suddenly came under fire from the communists. Deuba fears that the coalition will break up and lose his PM post if the MCC moves forward. Prime Minister Deuba also fears that his party, the Nepali Congress, and the country will lose its international standing if the MCC does not move forward.
In the three years since the onset of the conflict between Oli and Prachanda, there has been so much publicity against the MCC that the public is confused by this propaganda, and this confusion is likely to lead to a major crisis. Not only the then Prime Minister Oli but also the current Prime Minister Deuba has failed to stop the propaganda against MCC. While the MCC is being misrepresented under the leadership of Prachanda, the then Prime Minister Oli has failed to issue a white paper stating that the MCC is not a traitor to the country. There are so many media outlets in the country, the people have sophisticated communication equipment, mobile telephone sets, the state has its own means and resources. But the anti-MCC propaganda was not stopped.
There are many examples in Nepal of spreading misinformation among the people while trying to start a good work. For example, when the Nepali Congress decided to carry out a people’s revolution in October 2007, the Rana’s had spread a great deal of confusion among the people: “If the Rana regime is removed, the country will not exist. The number of those who believed in this delusion spread by the Rana at that time was remarkable. There was even a proverb in our house saying ‘Congress pasos’. Even after the completion of the 2007 revolution on the knees of the Rana, the number of those who said that Rana was right was not less than that of the Congress. Even in the 2015 general election, the Nepali Congress won 37 percent of the vote, while the Rana’s party, the Gorkha Parishad, won 22 percent.
In the referendum of 2036 BS, the multi-party system also won. Many people voted for Nirdal believing this misinformation. At that time, the communists of Nepal were protesting against the multi-party system and shouted that we are neither multi-party nor independent, we are on foot. Similar misinformation was spread in the Jana Andolan of 2046 BS. A group was formed to throw stones at the agitators, propagating that Nepal would be merged with India if there was no panchayat system with active rule of the king. Even those who spread propaganda against the people’s movement of 2062-2063 BS used nationalism as a weapon. The propaganda that without monarchy the country would not exist and would merge with India was intensified. But with the removal of the king, Nepal’s national unity became even stronger.
By spreading the rumor that Nepal is being merged with India, it became impossible to fulfill its self-interest. The people stopped believing this misinformation. Now a new fund has been started by making MCC all of a sudden. If the MCC agreement is reached, then the US troops will come to Nepal. Many have speculated that the disintegrated monarchy used radical communists for this propaganda. The reactionary party has dreamed of reviving the monarchy on the basis of the referendum prepared against the MCC. This is true. Despite this, what is the reason for raising issues against MCC? It is pertinent to mention here.
What is MCC?
MCC is a small company in the US Congress. The MCC is a small organization formed by the US Congress to assist in the construction of large infrastructure projects in developing countries. Established by the US Congress in 2004, the MCC has maintained its objectives and activities on the website in a transparent manner. MCC is short for Millennium Challenge Corporation. The MCC’s stated goal in leading the fight against global poverty is the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the United States’ assistance to least developed and developing countries to reduce global poverty.
Currently, the United States is providing various assistance to 20 countries through this program. Nepal first applied for assistance with MCC in 2012. At that time, Jhala Nath Khanal was the Prime Minister of Nepal. After a series of discussions since 2012, in 2017, when the Nepali Congress government was in power, an agreement was reached between the two countries in the MCC in Washington. In 2013, a body called Millennium Challenge Account Nepal was formed as the implementing body of the MCC by a decision of the Council of Ministers.
Under the auspices of the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Account Nepal, the US government decided to bring in 500 million or 56 billion Nepali rupees in aid from the United States. For that, on September 14, 2017, the then Finance Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki arrived in Washington DC and signed an agreement to seek the assistance of MCC. In addition, the MCC’s program implementation agreement was signed in Kathmandu on September 29 this year. It has been said that the MCC agreement will be implemented with the approval of the parliament.
In the name of MCC, there is ample possibility to push Nepal towards prosperity by investing around Rs. 56 billion to US 500 million in power transmission line and road upgrades. With the grant of 500 million from MCC and 130 million from the government’s equivalent fund, the upgrade of 312 km high capacity (400 KV) transmission line, 3 substations and Nepal-India border transmission line and 99 km road is about to be upgraded at a cost of 630 million. A 312 km transmission line will be constructed from Lapsiphedi in Kathmandu to Ratmate of Nuwakot, Nawalparasi and Sunwal via Damauli. Three substations will be constructed at Ratmate, Damauli and Butwal.
On the road side, Bhaluwang (Dang) -Lamahi (Dang) 27 km, Chandrauta (Kapilvastu) -Bhaluwang 35 km and from Lamahi to Shivkhola (Dang) 37 km roads will be upgraded. The economic rate of return for these projects is 12 percent. The project has been informed after discussing with the local stakeholders of all 30 villages and municipalities in the project area.
Some points of confusion
Article 7.1 of the MCC agreement mentions the conditions that Nepal has to fulfill. The government has accepted that the provisions of the MCC will be implemented in case of conflict between the constitution and the MCC. It reads: “The government will begin in time to meet the internal conditions required to implement the proposed agreement. After the implementation of the present agreement, if the present agreement and the national law of Nepal are in conflict, the present agreement will be implemented.
The MCC is strongly opposed to this provision. Opponents have been raising the question of whether the agreement should be passed by a majority of the House of Representatives to make it similar to Nepal’s constitution. Both sides agreed on the provision in the agreement that the Government of Nepal should pass the MCC in a way that satisfies the MCC. Generally, treaties do not have to be passed by Parliament even if they are approved by Parliament.
One of the two goals of MCC is power generation and export to third countries including India. For which transmission line has to be constructed using Indian land. Therefore, in this agreement, it has been mentioned that India’s approval should be taken. An agreement has been reached between Nepal and India for this project. The Government of Nepal and India have agreed to construct the Butwal-Gorakhpur transmission line. The agreement is part of the MCC. It is written in the agreement that was discussed between the Indian and American governments to bring this agreement to Nepal.
Will the US Army Arrive?
Doubts have been raised strongly against the voices against the MCC – the US will keep troops in Nepal along with the MCC. The MCC project, which will be completed in five years, will not be spent on any military activities. There is no provision related to soldiers in the agreement. Also, it is not written who will protect these projects. Since both sides have agreed to include the road and energy project to be constructed with the assistance of MCC as a project of national pride, it is understood that its protection will be provided by the Nepali side. The project of national pride is being guarded by the Armed Police Force .
