KATHMANDU, March 12: Initiating parliamentary hearings of ambassador-designate to China, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, on Wednesday, the Parliamentary Hearings Committee (PHC) has called for complaints against him within ten days.
The committee decided to issue a public notice calling for complaints at the committee as part of the ritual of parliamentary hearings process to appoint any nominee.
The government had decided to appoint former Foreign Minister Pandey as Nepal's ambassador to China on March 1 after recalling Leelamani Paudyal from Beijing.
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Pandey was initially recommended as Nepal's envoy to China by the K P Oli-led government in 2016 as well.
But after the change in government before his parliamentary hearings, the succeeding government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal scrapped the 14 ambassadorial nominations made by Oli's government including that of Pandey.
Dahal's government appointed former chief secretary Paudyal as Nepal's envoy to China after withdrawing Pandey's nomination later in the same year.
The government has not officially clarified the reason for recalling Paudyal so far.
The PHC will study the complaints, if any, against Pandey and will also give him the chance to clarify during the hearings.
Endorsement of his appointment from the Parliamentary Hearings Committee will clear the way for the president to appoint Pandey as Nepal's envoy to China.
