Kathmandu: Members of Parliament have strongly criticized the government for failing to ensure inclusivity in the recent ambassadorial nominations, highlighting concerns about the lack of representation for marginalized communities.
During a meeting of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee, Prakash Adhikari of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) raised concerns that the nominations were not proportionally inclusive. He emphasized that the committee should take a firm stance on this issue. Similarly, Janardan Sharma recalled that the Foreign Minister had previously been instructed to ensure inclusivity in future nominations.
Gyanendra Karki of the Nepali Congress stressed the urgency of filling vacant ambassadorial posts and urged the committee to expedite the hearing process. However, Jivan Pariyar pointed out the absence of representation for the Dalit community in the nominations. He noted that despite previous attempts to draw attention to this issue, the government had repeatedly failed to implement inclusivity, causing frustration among marginalized groups.
Sharma further criticized the government for not adhering to the principles enshrined in the Constitution, which guarantees the rights of all communities. He expressed dissatisfaction that the constitutionally mandated inclusive representation had not been realized, despite the significant sacrifices made to achieve it.
MPs from various parties echoed these sentiments, with Pashupati Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana of Rastriya Prajatantra Party emphasizing the importance of Dalit representation, noting that even during the Panchayat era, Dalits had more respectable representation than in the current republic.
Prakash Adhikari reiterated that failing to implement constitutional provisions on inclusivity would undermine the very purpose of the committee. He urged the government to either amend the Constitution if it found inclusivity difficult to implement or ensure compliance with its provisions.
Anand Dhungana of the Nepali Congress emphasized the need to address the issue of proportional inclusivity, which had been achieved after a long struggle. He also suggested that the Foreign Minister be reminded of the constitutional council’s directives regarding inclusive representation.
Members of the CPN-UML, including Lilnath Shrestha and Ishwari Gharti, stressed the need for continued attention to inclusivity in future appointments. They pointed out that the recent recommendations included 14 Khas Arya, 3 indigenous nationalities, and 3 women, but lacked representation for Dalits, Madhesis, Muslims, and Tharus.
In response to the criticisms, the committee decided to discuss the matter with the Foreign Minister before proceeding with the hearings. The committee is also scheduled to hear complaints regarding the nominations on Bhadra 14 and conduct hearings on Bhadra 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, and 25.
