Kathmandu, October 6
The parliamentary hearing process for 13 ambassadors proposed by the government has begun, with the Parliamentary Hearing Committee distributing the complaints filed against the nominees among its members on Tuesday.
The committee also distributed the proposed ambassadors’ work plans for review.
According to the committee, two complaints have been filed against the proposed ambassadors as a group, while three individual complaints have been filed against Jigyan Kumar Thapa, who has been proposed as Nepal’s ambassador to Japan. Two complaints have been filed individually against Giribahadur Sunar, the nominee for Saudi Arabia.
The Cabinet had recommended ambassadors for 13 countries on September 18. The nominees are Dr Nischal Nath Pandey for India, Dr Kalyan Raj Sharma for China, Chiran Jung Thapa for the United States, and former army chief Gaurav Shumsher Rana for the United Kingdom.
Other nominees are Jigyan Kumar Thapa for Japan, Suresh Kumar Karn for Israel, Prapti Sherchan for Spain, Saru Joshi for Germany, Dr Padmakshi Rana for Oman, Chudamani Kharel for Malaysia, Prof Dr Sangam Shrestha for South Korea, Dr Manchala Jha for Sri Lanka and Giribahadur Sunar for Saudi Arabia.
The Parliamentary Hearing Committee had decided on October 24 to invite complaints against all 13 nominees. Seven complaints were filed within the 10-day period.
Questions over ambassador appointment guidelines
One of the complaints calls for the rejection of all 13 nominations, alleging that the government did not follow the Ambassador Appointment Directive, 2018.
The directive sets criteria for ambassadorial appointments and calls for a balance between career diplomats and political or other distinguished professionals.
Under the directive, at least 50 per cent of ambassadorial appointments are to be made from among gazetted first-class or higher-ranking officials of the Foreign Service. The remaining 50 per cent can be appointed from the political sector or among distinguished and specialised individuals from other fields.
The complaint alleges that these provisions were not followed in the latest nominations.
Complaints against nominees for Saudi Arabia and Japan
Giribahadur Sunar, the nominee for Saudi Arabia, faces two individual complaints. One alleges involvement in violence and mistreatment of women, as well as an extramarital relationship. Another alleges involvement in financial and criminal activities.
The complaints have called on the parliamentary committee to investigate the allegations and examine Sunar’s personal and professional background before approving his nomination.
Sunar is a PhD researcher in sociology at Tribhuvan University and has more than 25 years of experience in international development, policy advisory work and multi-stakeholder governance. He has also worked in social protection, gender equality, social inclusion and community-based climate adaptation.
Jigyan Kumar Thapa, the nominee for Japan, faces three individual complaints. One alleges that he renounced Nepali citizenship and obtained permanent residency in a foreign country. Another questions his eligibility for the ambassadorial position, while a third alleges that he owns property and has business, investment, bank loan and other commercial interests in Japan.
Thapa has postgraduate qualifications in international relations and law from Yokohama National University and a bachelor’s degree in international cooperation from Sumei University. He has worked in Japan on Nepal-Japan bilateral programmes, international cooperation and public policy and has been involved in high-level exchanges between the two countries.
No individual complaints against 11 nominees
No individual complaints have been filed against the remaining 11 nominees, including those proposed for India, China, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Dr Nischal Nath Pandey, proposed as ambassador to India, is an academic specialising in Nepal’s foreign policy and South Asian affairs. He has previously served as executive director of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and as an adviser to the National Planning Commission.
Dr Kalyan Raj Sharma, nominated for China, is an economist and scholar of China-related affairs. He has more than two decades of experience in academia, institutional governance and Nepal-China policy cooperation.
Chiran Jung Thapa, proposed for the United States, is a specialist in national security and international affairs with two decades of experience in security policy, crisis management and diplomacy.
Former army chief Gaurav Shumsher Rana has been nominated as ambassador to the UK. He served as chief of the Nepali Army during Nepal’s transition to a federal democratic republic and led military rescue and relief operations following the 2015 earthquake.
The government has presented the other nominees as professionals with expertise in fields including information technology, banking, international development, gender equality, sustainable development, public administration, climate resilience, water diplomacy and public policy.
The parliamentary hearing committee will now examine the complaints, qualifications and work plans of the nominees before deciding whether to endorse their appointments.
