Kathmandu, September 16
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has finalised its list of candidates for ambassadors to 21 of the 22 vacant diplomatic missions, but consensus between Prime Minister Balendra Shah and Rastriya Swatantra Party chair Rabi Lamichhane is still pending on some of the proposed names.
A senior source said the ministry had submitted what it considered the final list, but names and countries were still being moved around during discussions at the political level.
The ministry has also proposed primary and alternative candidates for some countries to facilitate the decision-making process.
Prime Minister Shah’s Chief Adviser Kumar Ben has been holding discussions with Lamichhane and Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal on the final list. According to a senior RSP source, Lamichhane has raised questions about some candidates and their backgrounds but has adopted a policy of not interfering once the government’s preferences are clear.
The RSP chair has reportedly emphasised that candidates should have credible previous relations or contacts with the country to which they are being appointed and should be able to work effectively there.
Ben has also been meeting some ambassadorial aspirants directly to assess their backgrounds and capabilities, according to sources.
Foreign Minister Khanal had earlier instructed officials to prioritise transparent and credible candidates. Following this, the ministry opened applications in the second week of Jestha, receiving around 4,400 applications. About 2,700 names were shortlisted.
Of the proposed appointments, 14 are political appointments and seven are career diplomats from the Foreign Ministry.
“We have prepared the list of ambassadors for recommending some names this week,” Khanal told Onlinekhabar. “Professionals and people who may not be prominent in Nepali politics but have expertise in their respective fields have been prioritised.”
India, China and US among key appointments
For neighbouring India, Nischal Nath Pandey is reportedly the leading candidate. Former chief secretary Shankar Das Bairagi is also under consideration.
Some former military officials had been included in earlier discussions but have reportedly been removed from the final list.
Former army chief Gaurav Shumsher Rana was considered for India, but concerns were raised within the party that his military background could prompt questions from the host country. He is now reportedly being considered for the ambassadorial post in the United Kingdom.
For China, Fudan University professor Kalyan Sharma is reportedly the RSP’s preferred candidate. However, sources say the Chinese side has indicated a preference for a career diplomat, putting Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai also in strong contention.
Three names — Chiran Jung Thapa, journalist Akhilesh Upadhyay and former secretary Krishna Gyawali — are reportedly in the final list for the United States.
Thapa, whose name has received relatively little public attention, is reportedly the government’s preferred candidate based on his professional background. Upadhyay and Gyawali are being considered as alternatives.
For Japan, Jijyan Thapa’s name is reportedly close to being finalised. Thapa previously worked as a language translator in Japan and is understood to have links with several companies there. His name was reportedly proposed by Speaker DP Aryal rather than the Balen or Rabi camps.
Other names under consideration include Saru Joshi, Sangam Shrestha and Chudamani Kharel.
Joshi, who has experience in the foreign employment sector, is reportedly being considered for a country with a significant number of Nepali migrant workers. Shrestha, a former dean at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, is being considered for Malaysia, South Korea or Bangladesh.
Kharel was reportedly not among the initial applicants but has emerged as a possible candidate for Malaysia or a similar destination.
Career diplomats currently working in the government are being considered for Western Asian countries where foreign employment is a major component of Nepal’s bilateral relations. The government has said it will not repeat individuals who have previously served as ambassadors.
Political bargaining raises questions
The government had previously said it wanted to appoint ambassadors through a lawful and transparent process and had scrapped earlier political appointments as part of that approach.
However, the current process has raised questions about whether that commitment will be fully implemented.
Sources say the final list could still change as political discussions continue, while some names already settled for particular countries could be held back for some time.
Foreign Ministry officials have also expressed concern that candidates lobbying political leaders through private meetings could affect the process and potentially create difficulties in securing agrément from the receiving countries.
There are also concerns that political bargaining within the ruling party could influence the appointments, similar to the practice of dividing ambassadorial posts among coalition partners under previous governments.
The Foreign Ministry, however, says it wants to promote people who have achieved success in their professional fields but have had relatively little exposure in public life.
Khanal has not disclosed the names of the candidates but has urged the public to remain hopeful about the appointments.
A government source said at least half of the ambassadorial appointments would be recommended within a week.
The delay has come under increasing criticism as the government approaches six months in office without completing the ambassadorial appointments. The Foreign Ministry has now completed its list and is waiting for political consensus on the remaining issues.
“We will send people who can establish diplomatic access in the respective countries and further strengthen it,” a Foreign Ministry official said. “Consensus is still pending for some countries, but a good list has been prepared despite the delay.”
