Kathmandu, Nepal, February 15, 2022: The US Embassy in Nepal has made clear that the US has not issued any threats to Nepali leaders over the issue of endorsing the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact project from the parliament.
Issuing a statement on Monday, the US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry has stated that none of the US officials were engaged in issuing any threat whatsoever to Nepali leaders to accept the MCC grant.
The statement of US Ambassador to Nepal Randy has come at the time when some media reports were widespread that US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu issued threat to the Nepal’s top leaders, including Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the main opposition party leader KP Oli, to ratify MCC at the earliest from the parliament.
Taking a strong exception to the media reports, US Ambassador Randy has said that false narrative created by a section of political parties in Nepal that senior US officials had threatened Nepali political leaders to ratify the MCC agreement.
‘It is false, but we are asking Nepal to follow through on its commitments,’ the statement has stated further adding ‘whether the Nepali leaders ratify MCC is a decision for Nepal to make, as a sovereign democratic nation, and Nepal’s decision alone.’
‘We have had discussions with Nepali leaders but not in the way characterized by some press and online discourse, the statement has stated adding the relationship between the United States and Nepal is broader than one agreement.
‘Nepali leaders understand that MCC will bring jobs and infrastructure to Nepal but unfortunately this development program has been mired in disinformation which is based on transparency, accountability and democracy,’ reads the statement. ‘After years of delays on following through on Nepal’s promise, we simply ask that ratifying the agreement be brought to a vote so the people’ reads the statement.
