Government recalls 11 envoys appointed by Oli administration

Kathmandu, Oct. 17 – A significant diplomatic reshuffle is underway in Nepal following a recent Cabinet meeting. The government has recalled...

Kathmandu, Oct. 17 – A significant diplomatic reshuffle is underway in Nepal following a recent Cabinet meeting. The government has recalled eleven ambassadors who were appointed by the previous administration. These envoys, representing Nepal in key nations around the globe, have been instructed to return home by November 6th.

However, not all ambassadors appointed under the previous government are being recalled. Several individuals appointed under political quotas have been permitted to continue their duties.

Recalled Ambassadors and Their Backgrounds

The eleven ambassadors who are being recalled were appointed under the political quota system during the premiership of KP Sharma Oli, representing either the Nepali Congress or CPN-UML parties. The recalled ambassadors and their respective postings are:

• Krishna Prasad Oli (China)
• Shail Rupakheti (Germany)
• Dhan Prasad Pandit (Israel)
• Netra Prasad Timilsina (Malaysia)
• Ramesh Chandra Paudel (Qatar)
• Jang Bahadur Chauhan (Russia)
• Naresh Bikram Dhakal (Saudi Arabia)
• Shanil Nepal (Spain)
• Chandra Kumar Ghimire (United Kingdom)
• Lok Darshan Regmi (United States)
• Durga Bahadur Subedi (Japan)

The political affiliations of the recalled ambassadors are as follows: Oli, Timilsina, Paudel, Ghimire, and Regmi were appointed on the recommendation of the CPN-UML. Rupakheti, Pandit, and Dhakal were appointed under the Congress' quota.

Notably, with the exception of Durga Bahadur Subedi, all those recalled were appointed on political quotas. Subedi is a joint secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is considered to be close to the former foreign minister. He is the only career diplomat among those being recalled.

Ambassadors Allowed to Continue

In contrast to the recalled ambassadors, several others have been given the green light to continue their roles. These include:

• Dr. Shankar Sharma (India)
• Chitralekha Yadav (Australia)
• Sumnima Tuladhar (Denmark)
• Shivamaya Tumbahangphe (South Korea)
• Kapilman Shrestha (South Africa)
• Purnabahadur Nepali (Sri Lanka)

Prime Minister Karki reportedly inquired about the performance of Ambassador Sharma, who was appointed to India for a second term on behalf of the Nepali Congress by the previous government. A government official quoted Karki as saying, "Since he is performing well, there is no need to recall him now."

Gender Sensitivity and Social Inclusion

Prime Minister Karki also instructed foreign ministry officials not to recall female ambassadors, even if they were appointed under political quotas. Currently, Sewa Lamsal and Rita Dhital are serving in Belgium and Pakistan, respectively. Both are career diplomats. Yadav, Tumbahangphe, and Tuladhar were appointed by the former Oli government. Yadav was appointed under the Congress quota, while Tumbahangphe and Tuladhar were appointed on the UML's recommendation.

"The prime minister herself did not want to recall the female envoys. She wanted to exhibit gender sensitivity," said an aide to the prime minister. "So the three female ambassadors were asked to continue."

Furthermore, Purna Bahadur Nepali, the ambassador to Sri Lanka, who is the only ambassador from the Dalit community, will also continue his service. The Prime Minister decided to allow Nepali to continue, citing his representation of the Dalit community.

The government also decided to allow Shrestha, the ambassador to South Africa, to continue, citing his human rights credentials.

Challenges in Appointing New Ambassadors

The timing of the ambassadorial recalls presents a challenge for the government, as parliamentary elections are scheduled for March 5th. Due to constitutional requirements for parliamentary hearings for ambassadorial nominees, it may not be possible to appoint new envoys until a new parliament is convened and a parliamentary hearing committee is formed. This could leave the foreign missions vacant for an extended period.

A foreign ministry official noted, "The most important thing is procedure. Since the constitution requires that ambassadorial nominees must go through parliamentary hearings, it will not be possible in the absence of parliament." The official also emphasized the importance of not leaving foreign missions vacant for too long.

Unless the government makes special arrangements through constitutional amendments to appoint new envoys, the missions will remain vacant, officials privy to these matters said.

Other Cabinet Decisions

In addition to the ambassadorial recalls, the Cabinet meeting also addressed other important matters:

• Mutual Legal Assistance with India: The Cabinet approved the signing of a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreement on criminal matters with India. This agreement will facilitate cooperation between the two countries in gathering evidence, investigating, and prosecuting criminal offenses. The text of the agreement was finalized during a home secretary-level meeting between Nepal and India in July. Nepal already has a similar agreement with China, signed in 2019.

• Cross-Border Transmission Lines: The Cabinet approved the establishment of two joint companies, one in Nepal and one in India, for the construction of the 400 kV Inaruwa-Purnia and Dododhara-Bareilly cross-border transmission lines. These companies will be formed through joint investment by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and India's Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. The Cabinet approved NEA's proposal to invest NPR 1 billion in cash and an additional NPR 2 billion in equity for the establishment of the joint companies.