Karki, who works for the party´s foreign department, was nominated ambassador to France during the Maoist-led government, but his nomination was dropped after then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal resigned over the controversy surrounding the sacking of then Army Chief Rookmangud Katwal. He has long been a trusted lieutenant to Bhattarai. [break]
Roving ambassador, special envoy and ambassador-at-large are taken synonymously in diplomacy. Generally, an ambassador at large is appointed with specific responsibility. They are generally at par with a cabinet minister in protocol though they do not have executive power.
In Nepal´s diplomatic history, King Mahendra had Major General Shovag Jung Thapa and Prof Ram Prasad Manandhar as special envoy to the Bandung Conference in 1955. Rishikesh Shah was appointed special ambassador by King Mahendra in early 1960s. In recent history, then Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa had appointed Dr Bhekh Bahadur Thapa as ambassador-at-large.
Similarly, the prime minister is likely to appoint Devendra Poudel as his principal advisor. Poudel, who is currently the in-charge of the Maoist Abadh state committee, is another trusted lieutenant of Bhattarai.
Likewise, the prime minister is likely to appoint Janadesh Weekly editor Manarishi Dhital his press advisor.
Meanwhile, the prime minister on Thursday appointed Biswadip Pandey and Fanindra Devkota his personal assistants. Pandey has long been the aide of the Bhattarai and handling the media, while Devkota served as the personal secretary of Bhattarai when the latter was the minister for finance.
Bhattarai has already appointed party leader Ganga Shrestha as his personal secretary.
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