The Parliamentary Hearing Committee has endorsed 16 persons out of the 17 recommended for ambassadors to different countries.
It, however, did not take a decision on proposed envoy to Sri Lanka Ram Krishna Bhattarai. The committee said that it has withheld decision on Bhattarai as he could not produce documents to show he has a bachelor’s degree.
Twelve of the 16 have been endorsed unanimously while four have been endorsed on the basis of majority.
Meanwhile, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker in the committee Dor Mani Aryal has put differing opinions on three recommendees including Dhan Prasad Pandit, Kapil Man Shrestha and Netra Prasad Timalsina. Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal has put differing opinions on the three and Shankar Prasad Sharma.
Lawmakers pointed that Shrestha has been punished after complaint of sexual violence while a case of Nepal Red Cross Society related to Timalsina was sub judice in the Supreme Court (SC). They similarly questioned Pandit's qualification and pointed that Sharma was again recommended for ambassador against the guideline for recommending ambassadors.
The quartet, therefore, was endorsed on the basis of majority.
The government had recommended Krishna Prasad Oli for ambassador to China, Pandit for Israel, Shail Rupakheti Germany, Ramesh Chandra Paudel Qatar, Prakash Mani Paudel Portugal, Rita Dhital Pakistan, Sharma India, Shrestha South Africa, Naresh Bikram Dhakal Saudi Arabia, Bhattarai Sri Lanka, Sanil Nepal Spain, Lok Darshan Regmi America, Chandra Ghimire United Kingdom, Sumnima Tuladhar Denmark, Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe South Korea, Timalsina Malaysia, and Jangav Chauhan Russia.
The guideline for appointing ambassadors requires that 50 percent of them be recommended from Foreign Ministry staffers and the rest from among experts.
