An ambassador is a position where a person officially represents their country in a designated country. The appointment of an ambassador is done to maintain good foreign diplomatic relations. The role of an ambassador within the country is secondary. However, ambassadors appointed to various countries are currently reporting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Four of the 11 ambassadors recalled by the government and suspended by the court have resigned. The ambassadors who did not resign are attending the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They are attending and returning every day. 

The post of ambassador is considered a highly respected position in the diplomatic service. Ambassadors are addressed as 'Your Excellency' with high respect internationally. In Nepal, they are called 'His Excellency'. Ambassadors who are supposed to represent their country in a designated country have been required to attend the Ministry of Foreign Affairs daily. This is the first time that sitting ambassadors have attended the Ministry in this way. 

The responsibility of an ambassador within the country does not lie with the ministry. The practice of ambassadors being recalled after a change of government is not new in Nepal. However, the practice of ambassadors coming to the ministry, attending and returning home is considered new in the diplomatic field. The internal conflict between the government and the Supreme Court has come to the fore in the ambassadorial case. 

The government led by Sushila Karki, formed on the strength of the Gen-G movement, decided to recall ambassadors from 11 countries on 30 Asoj and asked them to return on 20 Kartik. But on 16 Kartik, the Supreme Court reined in the government's decision. 

The interim government led by Karki, formed on 21 Falgun with the sole goal of the House of Representatives elections, recalled ambassadors appointed by the previous government of the Congress-UML alliance in political partisanship, without any criteria, recalling some ambassadors and allowing others to remain in office. The Prime Minister's Chief Advisor Ajaybhadra Khanal says that the government has not taken any further decision other than recalling the ambassadors. 'The government decided to recall ambassadors from 11 countries on 30 Asoj and asked them to return on 20 Kartik, but no further decision has been taken,' he said.

Hearing a writ petition against the decision to recall ambassadors, a bench of Supreme Court Justices Saranga Subedi and Shrikant Poudel had issued an interim order not to recall them until the case is resolved. The ambassadors, who were preparing to return home, had expected to remain at their workplaces after the court order. However, Prime Minister Karki, who is also a former Chief Justice, did not find the court order satisfactory. Having also kept the responsibility of the Foreign Minister with her, she defied the court's interim order in a roundabout way. 

Another letter was sent from the foreign ministry to the ambassadors who had been recalled earlier. Even after the court order, the ambassadors who had been recalled were asked to appear at the ministry and perform their duties. Those who became ambassadors through political appointments have no role in the ministry. The ambassadors who have been summoned to work at the ministry are Krishna Prasad Oli (China), Shail Rupakheti (Germany), Dhan Prasad Pandit (Israel), Netra Prasad Timilsina (Malaysia), Ramesh Chandra Poudel (Qatar), Jung Bahadur Chauhan (Russia), Naresh Bikram Dhakal (Saudi Arabia), Sunil Nepal (Spain), Chandra Kumar Ghimire (UK), Lokdarshan Regmi (US) and Durga Bahadur Subedi (Japan). 

Among the ambassadors who have been affected by different decisions and orders of the government and the court, Oli for China, Poudel for Qatar, Ghimire for the UK and Regmi, who was the ambassador to the US, have resigned. They did not go to appear at the ministry. Oli said that he took the decision because he felt it was right to resign in his heart.

He did not want to comment further. Poudel, who resigned as the ambassador to Qatar, said that he did not consider it right to remain in the post after feeling that the government was not cooperating. ‘I was preparing to return after the government called me back. In the meantime, President Ram Chandra Poudel was on a visit to Qatar. I had the responsibility of making it a success,’ he said, ‘I came back after completing that. But I did not consider it necessary to appear at the ministry. There is no work for us there. I resigned because I wanted to help the government.’ 

The ambassadors of Russia and Israel, Chauhan and Pandit, respectively, have not appeared at the ministry. They have not resigned either. Both have informed that it will be a little late to return to the ministry. Five other ambassadors are appearing at the ministry. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri said that four of the ambassadors who were called to work at the ministry have resigned. He also said that the remaining ambassadors are in contact with the ministry. 

An ‘Ambassadors’ Room’ has been built in front of the meeting room in the minister’s office on the first floor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Now that the Prime Minister has taken over the responsibility of foreign affairs, the minister’s office is vacant. That vacant space has been used for the recalled ambassadors. Even though the ministry has not given any work, ambassadors come to the ministry that suits them and then return after reporting. There is no provision for the foreign ministry to give any work to those who have become ambassadors through political appointments.

On the first day of the meeting, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai had informed that they were called to work at the ministry as per the government's decision. However, he too could not give any work except to make them present. Secretary Rai could not do anything except to say, 'Can something be done? Think for yourself.' According to ministry sources, Saudi Arabia's Ambassador Dhakal and Germany's Ambassador Rupakheti have been regularly visiting the ministry and reporting since 20 Kartik. Some have not returned to the ministry after attending for 1/2 days. 'Initially, many people came for one or two days,' said a ministry source. 'After that, they also felt uncomfortable and started coming less.'

Ambassador Dhakal, who is coming to the ministry to report daily, says that the Supreme Court's order came when he was preparing to return after being called by the government. ‘The Supreme Court issued an interim order, the government called us, and we are appearing at the ministry,’ he said, ‘We are in office. We have to wait until the final decision of the Supreme Court. Respect for the court’s decision is also an important aspect, more than what others have done.’ 

Ambassador Timilsina, who came from Malaysia, has gone to his village after informing the foreign ministry that he is in Nepal. He has appeared at the ministry from 20 to 22 Kartik. ‘I have come to Morang village after reporting my return.’ When asked if he is in office, he said, ‘No, I don’t know more. We will talk after returning to Kathmandu.’

An official who has been working at the ministry for a long time says that this is the first time he has seen such disrespect for the ambassador’s post. ‘The ambassador was recalled after every change of government. It is normal for ambassadors to be recalled within a short period of time,’ he said, ‘However, it is unusual for a sitting ambassador to be summoned to the ministry for daily attendance like this. This has never happened before.'

Saying that it is common for ambassadors to be recalled after the government loses confidence in them, he said that ambassadors should understand the government's intention even now. Ambassadors who were recalled earlier and later called back to the ministry are hesitant to speak openly about the latest developments. 

Former Foreign Secretary Madan Kumar Bhattarai, who has been ambassador to Germany and Japan, says that since the ambassador is a representative of the government and has received a political appointment, he should automatically resign after the change of government. He said that the weight of the ambassadorial post has already been weakened by the division of appointments made by parties.

'Every government has made the appointment of ambassadors a toy. As a result, the ambassadorial post, diplomatic institutions and the country's reputation in the diplomatic sector have been reduced,' he added. 'The latest developments have seen a lot of cow slaughter. Our weaknesses in the diplomatic sector have become more apparent. Since the ambassador has a direct relationship with the executive, those who have become ambassadors after receiving political appointments under one pretext or another after the change of government should not continue to hold office.