By Our Reporter Leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party have been expressing contradicting views on the Millennium Challenge Cooperation (MCC) with some strongly opposing it and others supporting it. Those who have stood against it argued that the MCC was part of Washington’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which has military components that are aimed at countering China, a friendly neighbour, through Tibet. They have opposed the compact’s requirement of House approval, as the compact says that it would prevail over Nepal’s existing laws in case of conflicts. Speaking at a function organised recently in Kathmandu, NCP leader Dev Gurung said that the MCC was introduced with an ill-strategy of capturing China through Nepal. However, another section of the ruling party, led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has lobbied in favour for the compact and wants the ongoing session of the House of Representatives to ratify it. The main opposition Nepali Congress too has argued that the agreement be approved without any delay. Even the delay in naming the Speaker candidate is also linked with MCC as PM Oli feared any Speaker from former Maoist group could obstruct the ratification of the MCC. Interestingly, most of former Maoists had opposed the MCC but the former UML leaders have favored it although Nepal had ratified the MCC when the Maoists were in the government. Nepal was the first country in South Asia to qualify for the compact after it met 16 out of the 20 policy indicators.