Govt nominates 14 ambassadors on pro rata quota
KATHMANDU: The second meeting of the Cabinet on Monday decided to recommend the names of 14 persons for appointment as Nepali ambassadors in various diplomatic missions abroad.
The ruling parties --Nepali Congress, CPN Maoist Centre and Rastriya Prajatantra Party -- resorted to a quota system based on their size in the Parliament, while one nominee is from Madhesi Janadhakar Forum-Democratic, which is not in the government.
The nominees are as follows:
- Yuba Nath Lamsal (Denmark)
- Lakki Sherpa (Australia)
- Mahendra Bahadur Singh (Saudi Arabia)
- Padam Sundas (Bahrain)
- Sharmila Parajuli (Oman)
- Arjun Jung Bahadur Singh (South Korea)
- Bhim Udas (Myanmar)
- Dr Choplal Bhusal (Bangladesh)
- Prof. Bishwambher Pyakuryal (Sri Lanka)
- Ramesh Prasad Koirala (Qatar)
- Aasha Lama (United Arab Emirates)
- Pratibha Rana (Japan)
- Bharat Rayamajhi (Spain)
- Niranjan Thapa (Israel)
Nepali Congress, the major coalition ally, chose six -- Singh, Udas, Bhusal, Pyakuryal, Koirala and Lama -- for the ambassadorial job from its quota, while three -- Lamsal, Sherpa and Sundas -- made it to the nomination from Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's party CPN Maoist Centre.
Lamsal is a former editor of the state-run The Rising Nepal English national daily. All Maoist nominees were recommended for the ambassadorship by the KP Sharma Oli-led Cabinet in April last year also. The Maoist-Nepali Congress government, however, withdrew their names in August.
Another nominee, Sharmila Parajuli, was also in the last year's list. She was recommended by the Bijay Kumar Gachhadar-led Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic.
Bhusal, a medical doctor by profession, is the husband of Nepali Congress leader Pushpa Bhusal. Udas is a leader of the Non-Resident Nepali Association. He was residing in the United States. Pyakuryal is a renowned economist and retired professor of the Tribhuvan University.
Likewise, Rana and Thapa are central leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Thapa is a Panchayat era minister. Rana is the mother-in-law of Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Rayamajhi, a retired Nepal Army Lieutenant General, is also said to be of an RPP loyal.
Currently, 13 Nepali diplomatic outposts are headless for over a year, while the government decided to open a new embassy in Spain -- apparently as an adjustment to quota distribution.
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