MPs' duet on 'MCC' and 'BRI'

Kathmandu: Differences between the MPs regarding the US grant cooperation agreement Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and the Chinese project 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI) was clearly visible in today's parliament meeting.

MCC has been agreed upon and has been implemented, while BRI is at the stage of agreement.

While speaking at the House of Representatives meeting on Thursday, the parliamentarians gave their own interpretation and analysis of both projects and expressed their support and opposition.

Rashtriya Jana MorchaChair Chitra Bahadur KC demanded the government to clarify the difference between BRI and MCC project.

Speaking at a special time of the meeting, Chairman KC objected to the comment saying that some leaders and MPs are trying to establish the comment that Nepal will sink into debt trap if BRI is accepted.

"Our friends in power today had vehemently opposed MCC when it was being ratified by the parliament. Didn't they promise to leave politics if MCC was to ratify?" asked KC.

He opined that the Nepalese people should be aware of such things as they are going to strengthen the MCC project by opposing the BRI project in Nepal. MP KC argues that the US has brought the MCC project to make Nepal an anti-China stronghold.

KC questioned, "Has not the trap of American imperialism been burdened to the Nepali people by trickery, hypocrisy, and conspiracy saying that the 12 points explanation have avoided the effects of the MCC on Nepal?"

KC also says that BRI project and MCC project should not be compared.

"Doesn't MCC mean that Nepal has been included in the Indo-Pacific strategy?', KC asked. "Didn't America carry MCC to use Nepal in its competition with China? Do we not understand this? For that reason, the rulers are committing a kind of treason by bargaining over the nationhood, sovereignty and integrity of the country. What is the difference between MCC and BRI? That should be made clear to the Nepali people", KC emphasized.

He said that the people of Nepal should be aware of the US conspiracy to mislead Nepal in favor of MCC and make Nepal anti-China. "Is it because of BRI's money that 24 billion Nepalis are in debt? It should be made clear", demanded KC. "MCC and BRI cannot be confused by putting the MCC and BRI together," he opined.

KC also called MCC a trap of US imperialism.

Before MP KC spoke, Congress MP Shanti BK urged the government not to enter into a loan agreement under BRI.

Speaking during the Zero Hour of the House of Representatives, MP BK said that the public debt of Nepal has exceeded 2400 billion and adding the debt of BRI will increase the debt burden on the heads of Nepalese people.

"What sources do we have to pay the loan of BRI?", she questioned the government. "Nevertheless, the country and the people are burdened with debt and are unable to rise. Now, when the BRI project burdens the country with a high debt burden, it may become a challenge to manage the debt in a country like ours", says MP BK.

She drew attention to the fact that not having a strong base to pay the debt and being financially dependent can affect independence and national policy, and urged the government to provide BRI with China as a grant. "If there is a loan agreement, there are examples like Sri Lanka, Zambia, Pakistan, there will be problems in paying and the economy of the country will be negatively affected, so I request you not to enter into a BRI loan agreement," said MP BK

Another Nepali Congress MP Rajendra Bajgain accused China of ignoring the Nepali Congress.

MP Bajgain commented that China forgot the role of BP Koirala in advocating for China's memebership of the UN.

Bajgain said, "Whenever the Congress goes to the sidelines or is in the opposition, BRI has been presented aggressively," Bajgai said.

He recalled that BP Koirala played a bigger role than Henry Kissinger in making him known on the international horizon and said that China should not forget that role.

He commented that China was not positive towards the Congress saying that China had used the right wing during the Panchayat period and had brought unity to the Communists in recent times. MP Bajgain, while demanding that the memorandum of understanding about BRI be made public.