Envoys appointed by Oli recalled

OUT OF 33, Nepal’s 23 diplomatic missions abroad will remain vacant from the next three weeks to one month. As many as 11 missions have been headless for a long time.

THE DECISION will mean Nepal will not have ambassadors in some key countries, with which it has a “very close” working relationship, including India, China, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Kathmandu, Sept. 22: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba led Nepal government has decided to recall ambassadors from 12 nations appointed by former premier K.P. Sharma Oli, including envoy to India Nilamber Acharya, according to a media report.

With this decision, out of 33, Nepal’s 23 diplomatic missions abroad will remain vacant from the next three weeks to one month.

As many as 11 missions have been headless for a long time, The Kathmandu

reported. “A Cabinet meeting today decided to recall the ambassadors appointed under political quotas by the Oli government,” said Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Gyanendra Bahadur Karki.

“Those appointed from among career diplomats will carry on their duties,” Karki said.

The decision will mean Nepal will not have ambassadors in some key countries, with which it has a “very close” working relationship, including India, China, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Other than Acharya, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, Yubaraj Khatiwada and Lok Darshan Regmi, who are serving in Beijing, Washington DC and London respectively, now will have to return as per the new decision of the Deuba government.

Acharya was appointed to lead the Delhi mission in February 2019.

Earlier on July 18, five days after the new government was formed, Deuba’s Cabinet had cancelled 11 recommendations made by the Oli government as ambassadors to different countries.

Various appointments, including ambassadorial, in Nepal for years have been guided by political interests and people manage to get such posts depending upon their affinity to the parties, the report said.