House endorses MCC Nepal compact with interpretative declaration
The second meeting of the Legislature-Parliament held on Sunday endorsed the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal compact with interpretative declaration.
Finance Minister Janardan Sharma proposed a 12-point interpretative declaration incorporating the questions raised about the MCC agreement, which was endorsed by the Parliament along with the MCC.
The meeting ratified the $500 million grant compact amidst obstruction by the main opposition CPN-UML.
During the meeting, Minister Sharma proposed that the MCC compact be endorsed. Later, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota presented the proposal which was endorsed with a majority of votes.
Earlier, the compact was discussed in principle in the first meeting.
CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal among ruling coalition lawmakers expressed their dissatisfaction over the government decision to pass the MCC and raised several questions about the grant.
Responding to the queries, Finance Minister Sharma said that the government will not make any agreement against the nation.
What is the MCC agreement?
MCC compact is an assistance under which the United States will provide $500 million to Nepal for electricity transmission lines and road maintenance.
As per the agreement, the five-year project will come into implementation under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Nepal.
Under this project, the government will construct a 300 km long 400 KV transmission line from Lapsiphedi to Sunauli bordering India. The 305 km long road from Butwal to Banke via Dang will be upgraded.
The government of Nepal signed the agreement with the United States for the MCC project on September 14, 2017.
The then Finance Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki on behalf of the government signed an agreement with MCC Acting CEO Jonatha Nas in Washington on September 14,2017.
The then Finance Minister Yuvaraj Khatiwada signed an agreement for the implementation of the MCC on September 29, 2019.
The compact was registered in the Parliament Secretariat on July 15, 2019 for the endorsement.
The MCC was tabled in the Parliament on February 20, 2022 nearly 20 months after it was registered in the Parliament Secretariat.
The agreement was endorsed with a majority of votes on Sunday.
I am in favour of MCC: Mahantha Thakur
Democratic Socialist Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur said that he is in favour of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
Speaking at a Parliament meeting on Sunday, he said, “I am in support of MCC. We Democratic Socialist Party are in support of the MCC.”
He said that the United States has been helping Nepal not only now but for the past seven decades as a development partner.
“The United States has been helping Nepal for more than seven decades as a development partner. This grant is aimed at reducing the poverty in Nepal,” he said.
He said that the MCC is in the interest of Nepal and it would be meaningless to stage demonstrations against the compact.
Country will be pushed into conflict if MCC is endorsed in its existing form: Lingden
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Rajendra Lingden said that Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is not just a matter of financial assistance.
Speaking at a Parliament held on Sunday, Chairman Lingden demanded that the MCC should be deferred immediately and should be taken ahead with national consensus.
“MCC is not just a matter of financial assistance. Lingden urged the government to suspend the MCC immediately and further said that the compact should be taken ahead by forging national consensus,” he said, adding, “The country will be pushed into conflict if the compact is endorsed in the existing form.”
Chairman Lingen said that the MCC should not be ratified in a haste.
MCC is nothing more than an aid project: Bhattarai
Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Federal Council Chairman Baburam Bhattarai said that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement is nothing more than an aid project between Nepal and the United States.
Speaking at a Parliament meeting held on Sunday, Bhattarai claimed that there is nothing that should be protested in the MCC.
“MCC was a general grant. But, we made a mountain out of a molehill,” Bhattarai said, adding, “This is nothing but an aid project.”
He also apologised for violating the sovereign rights of the people.
“The sovereign power of the people is expressed through the Parliament. I am sad to say that we have been holding the House of Representatives hostage for the last six months. This has violated the sovereign rights of the people,” Bhattarai said.
Nepal records 111 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death on Sunday
Nepal logged 111 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Sunday.
With this, the country's active caseload mounted to 1,116,191. Similarly, the death toll has climbed to 11,935.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 6, 484 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 94 returned positive. Likewise, 324 people underwent antigen tests, of which 17 tested positive.
The Ministry said that 415 infected people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.
The Ministry said that 8, 285 people are staying in home isolation while 232 are in institutionalized isolation.
Russia suspends cooperation with Europe on space launches from French Guiana
Russia’s space agency Roskosmos is suspending cooperation with Europe on space launches from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana in response to Western sanctions over Ukraine, Roskosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said on Saturday, Reuters reported.
“In response to EU sanctions against our companies, Roskosmos is suspending cooperation with European partners on space launches from Kourou, and is withdrawing its technical staff… from French Guiana,” Rogozin said in a post on his Telegram channel.
Galileo is Europe’s global navigation satellite system which provides positioning and timing information used in mobile phones, cars, railways and aviation. Copernicus delivers earth observation data, documenting climate change, for example.
“We will take all necessary decisions in time to work on the development of the second generation of these two sovereign spacial infrastructures,” EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for space issues in the bloc’s executive Commission, said on Twitter.
“We are also prepared to act determinedly together with the member states to protect these critical infrastructures in case of an attack, and to continue the development of Ariane 6 and VegaC to guarantee the strategic autonomy with regard to carrier rockets.”
Ukraine rejects Russian offer of talks in Belarus
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected a Russian offer of talks in Belarus on Sunday, saying Minsk itself was complicit in the Russian invasion, but leaving the door open to negotiations in other locations, Reuters reported.
The Kremlin said on Sunday its delegation was ready to meet Ukrainian officials in the Belarusian city of Gomel.
RT, other Russian channels blocked from earning ad dollars
Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google barred on Saturday Russia’s state-owned media outlet RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos, similar to a move by Facebook after the invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported.
Citing “extraordinary circumstances,” Google’s YouTube unit said it was “pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube.” These included several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions, such as those by the European Union.
Ad placement is largely controlled by YouTube.
Google added later that it was also barring Russian state-funded media outlets from using its ad technology to generate revenue on their own websites and apps.
In addition, the Russian media will not be able to buy ads through Google Tools or place ads on Google services such as search and Gmail, spokesman Michael Aciman said.
“We’re actively monitoring new developments and will take further steps if necessary,” Aciman said.
On Wednesday, the European Union unveiled sanctions on individuals such as Margarita Simonyan, whom it called RT’s editor-in-chief and “a central figure” of Russian propaganda.
Videos from affected media will also come up less often in recommendations, YouTube spokesperson Farshad Shadloo said. He added that RT and several other channels would no longer be accessible in Ukraine after a Ukrainian government request.
On Saturday, Ukraine Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Twitter he contacted YouTube “to block the propagandist Russian channels — such as Russia 24, TASS, RIA Novosti.”
RT and Simonyan did not respond to requests for comment. YouTube declined to identify the other channels restricted.
For years, lawmakers and some users have urged Google for more action on channels linked to the Russian government, concerned that they spread misinformation and should not profit by it.
Russia received an estimated $7 million to $32 million over the two years to December 2018 from ads across 26 YouTube channels it backed, digital researcher Omelas told Reuters at the time.
YouTube has previously said it did not treat state-funded media channels that comply with its rules differently from others when it comes to sharing ad revenue.
On Friday, Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc (FB.O) barred Russian state media from running ads or generating revenue from ads on its services.
