The ongoing Standing Committee meeting of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has now hit the headlines over numerous contested issues. The NCP leaders have been divided over the topics such as Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the naming of capital of State 3, and quarrel between the party stalwarts. Although the government is determined to get the MCC through the parliament at any cost, it has become a bone of contention within the party. A host of leaders insist that MCC is the part of Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) that is seen as countervailing strategy to foil China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The MCC document itself does not mention the IPS but the statements of some senior US officials raised eyebrows of many observers. They have claimed MCC as the instrument of IPS, a view that has divided the NCP leaders. But the government is not in a mood to lose the hefty foreign investment in the form of MCC Nepal Compact at a time when the nation is in the dire need of money to fuel its flagging economy. It seems the Oli government has given short shrift to the ideological imperative and embraced pragmatism.
The issue has led leaders Bhim Rawal and Surya Thapa into a bitter dispute after the former publicly objected to the MCC. Thapa blew a fuse over after Rawal briefed the media about the SC meeting’s decisions, stating it is up to spokesman Narayan Kaji Shrestha, not Rawal to inform the journalists about the party decisions. In his rejoinder, Rawal accused Thapa of nurturing illusion as if he got power to instruct others a la the party chair after becoming the press advisor to the Prime Minister. Rawal had read out a poem lampooning the Baluwatar, the PM’s official residence. But Thapa argued that Rawal’s opinions did not reflect the official line of the party and were far from the ground reality. On the other, Rawal expressed his suspicion whether the nation is being pushed towards autocracy.
The blame and counter-blame between the two leaders has turned the intra-party circular issued by party co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda some four months back irrelevant.
As per the circular, the party’s leaders and cadres are not allowed to publicly criticise the party policy and leadership. If the party functionaries have disagreements or protests on its decisions, they should present their opinions as per the statute and by fully utilising the internal democracy. It is wise for all leaders and cadres to abide by the party discipline at a time when the process of the unification of the two parties is almost over. It is time to demonstrate the spirit of unity and solidarity since the factionalism and personal bickering gets the party nowhere.
Name of State 3 in controversy
NCP Secretariat decision to name State 3 as Bagmati and make Hetauda as its capital has drawn flak from the State lawmakers representing the party. Despite much humming and hawing, the State 3 government has been unable to announce its nomenclature. Now the party has taken up the task that is likely to court troubles. The party-affiliated lawmakers have become furious, accusing the centre of interfering in their jurisdiction. They were of the view that such a decision goes against the grain of constitution and federalism. Three secretariat members Jhala Nath Khanal, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Bamdev Gautam suggested that the party should not interfere in the matters regarding the name and the capital of States.By RRS
(from The Rising Nepal)
