MoFA refuses foreign diplomats' request to arrange meeting with President

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has refused the request of western diplomats to arrange their meeting with President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav citing political reason.

The western diplomats, including those of the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and Denmark, who have been showing keen interest on the ordinances on the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Inquiry on Disappearance (CID), have been even told not to discuss ‘political contents’ with the constitutional President, broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu reported on Saturday.

The government had forwarded ordinance on TRC and CID to the President's office for approval on August 28.

Last Thursday, a meeting of the diplomats held at the Office of the EU Delegation in Kathmandu had decided to hold meeting with President Yadav expressing their displeasure over some provisions in the ordinance on TCR and CID, the reports said.

According to the MoFA, the EU and other missions had forwarded a request to MoFA on August 31 to arrange the meeting with President Yadav. According to the sources, MoFA has interpreted diplomats' move as foreign interference in Nepal’s internal affairs. The missions also tried to directly approach the Office of the President for meeting. However, the Office of President has told the missions that it would take a decision on the matter on September 9, according to the reports.

The diplomatic community has been stressing that the proposed commissions should meet international standards, exclude blanket amnesties for serious violations of human rights and the international humanitarian law and incorporate views of the National Human Rights Commission. nepalnews.com