The Parliamentary Hearing Committee, a body under the House of Representatives, Nepal’s lower house of parliament, began the hearing process for 13 proposed ambassadors today (Tuesday). The committee is set to open and distribute complaints filed against the nominees during its meeting this morning.
The Federal Parliament Secretariat reported that seven complaints have been lodged against the 13 proposed ambassadors. Two of these complaints are general, targeting all nominees, while five are specific to individual candidates. However, Nagarik News stated that only five complaints were received. The identities of the specific individuals targeted by the five complaints will be revealed after today’s meeting.
Besides reviewing the complaints, the committee will also distribute the work plans submitted by the ambassadorial nominees to its members. The meeting is scheduled for 11:15 AM.
List of Nominees and Process Timeline
The Council of Ministers, Nepal’s executive body, recommended the 13 individuals for ambassadorial posts on Ashoj 2 (BS). They include:
- Dr. Nischalnath Pandey for India
- Dr. Kalyanraj Sharma for China
- Chiranjung Thapa for the United States
- Gaurav Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, a former Chief of Army Staff, for the United Kingdom
- Saru Joshi for Germany
- Suresh Kumar Karna for Israel
- Prapti Sherchan for Spain
- Jigyan Kumar Thapa for Japan
- Dr. Padmakshi Rana for Oman
- Chudamani Kharel for Malaysia
- Prof. Dr. Sangam Shrestha for South Korea
- Dr. Manchala Kumari Jha for Sri Lanka
- Giri Bahadur Sunar for Saudi Arabia
The Parliamentary Hearing Committee decided to initiate the hearing process on Ashoj 8 (BS). It had publicly called for information or complaints against the proposed individuals, extending the deadline until Monday due to public holidays.
Concerns and Next Steps
While one analysis noted the positive inclusion of individuals from the Tarai region in the recommendations, some complaints have raised questions regarding the insufficient consideration of inclusive principles in the ambassadorial selection process.
The appointment process for the ambassadors will only proceed after the Parliamentary Hearing Committee completes its study and review of the complaints. The committee holds the authority to decide whether the recommended individuals are suitable for appointment.
Discrepancies persist regarding the exact number of complaints received (five or seven). Furthermore, the specific targets of the five individual complaints, the detailed nature of all complaints, the full schedule for the parliamentary hearing process, and the final date for the ambassadorial appointments remain unknown.
