Kathmandu, Sept. 9 -- Fatema Z Sumar, vice president of the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), parachuted into Kathmandu on Thursday amidst afirestorm of protestagainst the project that threatens to divide Nepal's coalition government.

Together with her deputy Jonathan Brooks, Sumar over the next four days will be meeting Nepal's top politicians who are for and against the$500 million grant projectdesigned to upgrade Nepal's electricity grid and highways.

The visit follows Sumar's written response to concerns raised by Nepal's Finance Ministry on 3 September regarding the grant.

The main objective of the MCC is a 315km transmission line between Hetauda-Damauli-Butwal, important for the distribution of the 3,000MW of electricity...