- PM´s foreign policy adviser filed complaint against MoFA official as Nepal´s envoy to Germany
- MPRF leader claims Foreign Minister Yadav was bribed Rs 10 millions to pick envoy for Washington DC
KATHMANDU, April 2: Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee on Wednesday questioned rationale behind conducting hearings on the eligibility of government appointees for important positions including ambassadors.
Public Hearing Committee to conduct hearing on proposed ambassa...
Based on the conclusion that such hearings have proven futile, the committee has decided to take up the issue with Speaker Subas Nembang and discuss ways to make the hearings meaningful and effective.
Concluding that it cannot reject the name of ambassadorial nominee for Germany, Suresh Pradhan, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, despite categorical complaint filed against him by the prime minister´s Foreign Policy Adviser, the committee decided to establish validity of the hearing before conducting the confirmation hearing.
PM´s foreign policy adviser Hira Bahadur Thapa in the complaint claimed that Pradhan has committed an "inexcusable crime against the state" by leaking to the media that China has proposed to make some treaties with Nepal.
"Suresh Pradhan was the only person who had secret draft of proposed Peace and Friendship and some other treaties handed over by Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue during his Nepal visit on February 26," reads Thapa´s complaint. "He received the draft in the capacity of acting foreign secretary but revealed the fact to Kantipur daily, which carried the news in a tone that would provoke another neighbor." Thapa, himself a controversial foreign ministry official during the ex-king´s direct rule, was referring to India.
A similar complaint came from Madhesi People´s Rights Forum´s Amar Yadav against ambassadorial nominee for USA, Dr Sukhdev Shah. "A responsible leader of the party has raised serious concerns over Shah´s nomination but we can do nothing in this case," said Nepali Congress Chief Whip in parliament, Laxman Ghimire. "In such a situation we should take up the issue with the Speaker and discuss ways to make the hearings effective."
MPRF chairman Upendra Yadav heads the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Amar Yadav has raised five issues against Shah, formerly an International Monetary Fund economist. First, Shah breached his commitment to return to his Nepal Rastra Bank job upon completion of his study and he settled down in USA; he was fined by a US court for exploiting labor of his domestic help; he never returned to Nepal since he was settled in the US; he paid a bribe of Rs 10 million to Foreign Minister Yadav; he married second time in USA, leaving his first married wife and children in lurch.
Dr Ram Dayal Rakesh, former member of National Human Rights Commission, filed a complaint against nomination of Dr Ram Swarth Ray – a physics teacher in Ramswaroop Ramsagar Campus in Janakpur – as Nepal´s ambassador to the United Kingdom. "Dr Ray has always indulged in personal benefit and was disloyal to his job in the college," stated the complaint. "In terms of experience, capacity, ethics and qualification, he proves to be ineligible for the post of ambassador."
Rakesh has claimed that Dr Ray runs private tuition classes and does not pay attention toward his class in the college.
"Though the complaints against Ray seems subjective and cannot be construed as his ineligibility, the allegations against the two other nominees are serious in nature," Ghimire said. "So we should not ignore such complaints by just conducting a routine hearing."
Other lawmakers agreed with Ghimire´s contentions. "We should not ignore the evidences until there is another strong evidence to counter them," said lawmaker Chandra Dev Joshi.
Another lawmaker Pari Thapa said the purpose of the hearing is to control the government from making arbitrary appointments but this objective has failed.
"After three such hearings, we have experienced that the practice of confirmation hearing has not become effective here," said Agni Sapkota, a lawmaker from Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
The members were put under pressure to sincerely take up the complaints as they came from reputed personalities like former NHRC member, PM´s foreign policy adviser and former spokesperson and a central leader of third largest ruling party. The committee decided to summon Thapa and Yadav, who filed strong complaints against Pradhan and Shah´s nomination in the committee to ascertain the proofs they presented in the committee. Thapa and Yadav will be requested to appear at the committee on Sunday.
As per the law governing the hearing process, there should be unanimous voice of all the members to accept or reject the nominations made by the government. The government can use its discretion even if a single member accepts or rejects the nomination in the meeting. The committee has conducted three hearings over ambassadorial nominees in the past but there is not a single case its rejection has worked.
At the end of Wednesday´s meeting, the committee formed an 11-member panel to hold talks with the Speaker on Thursday. Besides committee chair Kul Bahadur Gurung, the panel includes Narayan Man Bijukchhe, Sapkota, Balkrishna Khand, Bhim Acharya, Thapa, Nilam KC, Pratibha Rana, Rukmini Chaudhari, Sarita Giri and Keshav Mainali.
yuvraj@myrepublica.com
