Govt prepares to appoint 13 ambassadors

KATHMANDU: The government is preparing to appoint ambassadors to different countries.

A cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to extend the term of three ambassadors for three more months each to allow them to complete the remaining formalities. The ambassadors receiving term extensions are Mani Prasad Bhattarai (Permanent Mission in Geneva), Amrit Bahadur Rai (Permanent Mission in New York), and Deepak Adhikari (France), a cabinet source told Himal Press.

Rai’s term is expiring on March 3, while the terms of Bhattarai and Adhikari are expiring on April 11 and April 4, respectively.

Currently, joint secretaries at the foreign ministry are serving as ambassadors in New York, Geneva, France, Thailand, Canada, UAE, and Kuwait. The government is in discussions to send six career diplomats and one political appointee to fill these seven posts that will become vacant in the next few months. Similarly, preparations are underway to recall apolitical appointees from countries such as the United Kingdom, Israel, South Korea, and Japan, among others.

Political appointees generally resign with the change in government guard. But this time, they are buying time in anticipation of the formation of a favorable coalition after the presidential election. The election for the president is scheduled on March 9.

The government plans to recall ambassadors appointed on the Nepali Congress (NC) quotas, such as Durga Bahadur Chhetri (Japan) and Gyanchandra Acharya (UK).

According to sources, contenders for the vacant posts include Lok Bahadur Thapa, Tej Bahadur Chhetri, Ghanashyam Lamsal, Dhan Bahadur Oli and Sudhir Bhattarai. Incumbent Chief Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi and Foreign Secretary Bharatraj Poudyal are also said to be in the race. Sources say both Chief Secretary Bairagi and Secretary Poudyal are eyeing Nepal’s permanent mission in New York. Bairagi served in Nepal’s mission in Geneva but returned midway after he was promoted to the secretary. He has served in the Nepali mission in New York as the deputy chief, but couldn’t complete a full term.  Therefore, he wants to serve in the New York mission.

If Bairagi is appointed Nepal’s ambassador to New York, Poudyal is likely to be given the responsibility in Geneva.

The government plans to appoint Nepal’s ambassador to Geneva before the Minister for Foreign Affairs Bimala Rai Poudyal’s scheduled visit to Geneva. The terms of Ganesh Dhakal (Thailand), Krishna Prasad Dhakal (UAE), Bhrigu Dhungana (Canada), and Durga Prasad Bhandari (Kuwait) in addition to the three, who have received term extensions, will expire in the next three months, resulting in seven vacant posts of ambassadors. The government plans to recall six politically appointed ambassadors. But Shreedhar Khatri (US), who was appointed on NC’s quota, is likely to stay.

Discussions are underway on whether to recall all ambassadors in bulk, according to the government source.