Ambassadors' fate hangs in the balance
HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) today received a letter from the Committee on International Relation and Human Rights of the Legislature Parliament directing it to recall Nepali envoys to India and Saudi Arabia.
MoFA, however, is still ‘unclear’ about how to implement the directives given by the parliamentary body.
The committee had directed MoFA to recall Nepali ambassador to India Rukma Shumsher Rana due to his association with Dabur Nepal Pvt Ltd, a company that came under the scrutiny of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority. It had also directed MoFA to investigate the allegations that Hamid Ansari, Nepal’s ambassador in Saudi Arabia, had transferred compensation money meant for three Nepali citizens to his personal bank account. The committee had directed MoFA to sack Ansari if he is found guilty.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal today discussed ways to implement the committee’s directives. But sources informed that the meeting was inconclusive.
DPM Koirala told The Himalayan Times that the government would ‘honour’ the parliamentary body’s directive, but shared that the implementation procedure was not clear. “We are in consultation with parties in the government,” she said.
According to Prime Minister’s foreign affairs adviser Rajan Bhattarai, the PM has been consulting top Nepali Congress leaders and senior ministers in the coalition government about Rana’s fate as he was appointed by the government under NC quota in August 2009.
“The PM is in consultations with NC leaders and is yet to take a decision on this issue,” Bhattarai said.
Although the committee directed MoFA to recall Rana, the cabinet has to take a decision to recall any ambassador in duty as it is the cabinet that appoints ambassadors.
Once again, MoFA has sought clarification from Ansari as he failed to furnish a satisfactory report regarding the allegations against him.
“No one is above the law. We will submit a proposal in the cabinet to dismiss Ansari once we receive his clarification,” an MoFA official said calling Ansari’s case a criminal one.
MoFA, however, is still ‘unclear’ about how to implement the directives given by the parliamentary body.
The committee had directed MoFA to recall Nepali ambassador to India Rukma Shumsher Rana due to his association with Dabur Nepal Pvt Ltd, a company that came under the scrutiny of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority. It had also directed MoFA to investigate the allegations that Hamid Ansari, Nepal’s ambassador in Saudi Arabia, had transferred compensation money meant for three Nepali citizens to his personal bank account. The committee had directed MoFA to sack Ansari if he is found guilty.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal today discussed ways to implement the committee’s directives. But sources informed that the meeting was inconclusive.
DPM Koirala told The Himalayan Times that the government would ‘honour’ the parliamentary body’s directive, but shared that the implementation procedure was not clear. “We are in consultation with parties in the government,” she said.
According to Prime Minister’s foreign affairs adviser Rajan Bhattarai, the PM has been consulting top Nepali Congress leaders and senior ministers in the coalition government about Rana’s fate as he was appointed by the government under NC quota in August 2009.
“The PM is in consultations with NC leaders and is yet to take a decision on this issue,” Bhattarai said.
Although the committee directed MoFA to recall Rana, the cabinet has to take a decision to recall any ambassador in duty as it is the cabinet that appoints ambassadors.
Once again, MoFA has sought clarification from Ansari as he failed to furnish a satisfactory report regarding the allegations against him.
“No one is above the law. We will submit a proposal in the cabinet to dismiss Ansari once we receive his clarification,” an MoFA official said calling Ansari’s case a criminal one.
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