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Govt amends eligibility criteria for ambassadors to make space for ‘relatives’

Khabarhub

June 6, 2021

2 MIN READ

Govt amends eligibility criteria for ambassadors to make space for ‘relatives’

Prime Minister KP Oli. (File photo)

KATHMANDU: Widely criticized for making allegedly controversial decisions one after another, Prime Minister KP Oli-led government has changed the eligibility criteria required to be appointed as ambassadors to facilitate the appointment of the kith and kin to the post.

According to Foreign Ministry sources, the government amended the regulations and removed the mandatory academic criteria of having passed Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline paving way for the appointment of some people close to Prime Minister KP Oli.

The government has secretly amended the directive, especially when questions have been raised about the qualifications and poor performance of ambassadors, especially from the political and non-diplomatic quotas.

According to a source, latest amendment was made to make Yuvaraj Karki, a friend of PM Oli the ambassador to Bahrain.

An official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the cabinet meeting held on May 8, just before recommending the appointment of ambassadors to the last countries, passed a revised directive on the appointment of ambassadors.

The officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came to know about the decision only after the amendment.

According to the officials, the directive was amended under the pressure of Prime Minister Oli.

Earlier, there was a tendency to send the close relatives and friends as an ambassador, rather than correcting the past errors, the government changed the academic qualification provision to make formerly disqualified candidates also eligible to head diplomatic missions.

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