Parliament’s Hearing Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved 10 of the government’s 13 ambassadorial nominees, rejected two and adjourned its meeting until after Dashain without deciding on the nominee for Japan.
The committee rejected Giri Bahadur Sunar, nominated as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Chudamani Kharel, nominated for Malaysia, after questions were raised about their conduct and alleged financial irregularities.
Sunar’s nomination was put to a vote after Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Samim Miya Mikrani said he was unsuitable for the diplomatic post. RSP chief whip Kabindra Burlakoti also argued that the allegations against Sunar raised concerns about the high ethical standards expected of an ambassador.
Sunar has faced complaints alleging sexual harassment, violence, threats and financial wrongdoing. The allegations remain unproven.
The committee also unanimously rejected Kharel’s nomination after lawmakers from the RSP, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Nepali Communist Party raised concerns about his moral character. Complaints against him include alleged financial irregularities, land dealings and conflicts of interest involving recruitment agencies.
Kharel has denied wrongdoing, saying false information had been circulated about him.
Committee chair Bodh Narayan Shrestha announced the decisions and directed the committee secretary to inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the nominees cleared for appointment.
The 10 nominees approved unanimously are Nishchal Nath Pandey for India, Kalyan Raj Sharma for China, Chiran Jung Thapa for the United States, Gaurav Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana for the United Kingdom, Suresh Kumar Karna for Israel, Padmakshi Rana for Oman, Sangam Shrestha for South Korea, Prapti Sherchan for Spain, Sharu Joshi for Germany and Manchala Jha for Sri Lanka.
The committee’s deliberations on Jigyan Kumar Thapa, nominated for Japan, ended without a decision after lawmakers disagreed over whether to reject his nomination or defer it.
When Shrestha put Thapa’s nomination to a decision, Nepali Communist Party lawmaker Barshaman Pun argued that it should be rejected, citing concerns including Thapa’s permanent residency status in Japan. RSP chief whip Burlakoti insisted that the committee should decide on the nomination later, although some RSP lawmakers called for an immediate decision. After Burlakoti maintained his position, Shrestha adjourned the meeting until after Dashain.
During the hearing, questions were raised over claims that Thapa had held permanent residency (PR) in Japan and had only recently relinquished it. Lawmakers also raised concerns that his wife and sons still held Japanese PR, that he owned a house in Japan, had received a salary from Japanese government agencies and had served as an adviser to a local government there. These issues formed part of the objections to his nomination.
The government recommended all 13 nominees on September 18 after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs opened the selection process to the public in May. More than 4,400 people applied for the vacant ambassadorial positions.
The nominations followed months of screening and consultations. The committee held hearings from Monday through Wednesday.
The approved nominees must complete the remaining appointment procedures, including obtaining the host countries’ consent, before they can formally assume their posts.