Kathmandu, Feb 16 : The ruling coalition partner CPN (Maoist Centre) has decided to vote against the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) if tabled in the parliament in the status quo.    

The meeting of the parliamentary party of CPN (Moist Centre) convened today morning at the party's office at Singha Durbar concluded that it will not vote in favour of the MCC compact unless some of the provisions in MCC that were against the national interest were amended and unequal conditions removed.    

The meeting was chaired by CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairperson and parliamentary party leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. CPN (Maoist Centre) chief whip Dev Prasad Gurung said, "We concluded that MCC should not be taken forward in its present form. If it is forcefully tabled in the parliament in the present form, our party will vote against the MCC compact," Gurung warned.    

There should be a national consensus on the American grant assistance -MCC- to continue with it, it was decided. "The MCC cannot be taken ahead until national consensus is forged among the coalition partners," Gurung said.    

He further said, "Currently the major opposition is obstructing the parliament. The CPN (Maoist Centre) has concluded that no agenda could be taken forward unless the parliament functions smoothly. Hence, we will emphasize smoothing running of the parliament."  

The CPN (Maoist Centre) has also decided to urge the major opposition party CPN (UML) for its cooperation to run the parliament. Gurung also clarified that CPN (Maoist Centre) will withdraw from the government if the incumbent government arbitrarily moves ahead with MCC, for he argued that, the government could not singlehandedly move ahead without a formal decision of the five-party coalition.