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Muddled ministries pass buck
KATHMANDU, AUG 11 -
The parliamentary committee on International Relations and Human Rights’ directive to the government on Tuesday over alleged threats by an Indian embassy official to a Constituent Assembly member has created confusion. It is not clear which agency will ascertain claims made by Maoist lawmaker Ram Kumar Sharma, who said he received repeated threats from Indian embassy official Subrata Das during the run-up to the prime ministerial poll last Friday.
The House committee has sent identical letters to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala.
Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MoFA) said they need clear instructions from the PMO, which in turn needs clear directives from Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal. Second, the House panel did not give any directive to the Home Ministry, which has investigative agencies under it.
“The House panel directed us to probe the allegation. But we are not sleuths,” a senior MoFA officials told the Post. MoFA officials say they can’t establish the veracity of the allegation against Das, though they are a frontline agency to deal with the diplomatic community. “We can do anything only after the claim is established against Das,” a senior MoFA official said.
“We have started internal discussions on the issue,” said Durga Bhattarai, who is also acting secretary of the ministry.
Padam Lal Bishwokarma, Chairman of the House committee, agreed that Tuesday’s House directive was “confusing”. “The PMO should define who has the investigating authority. Investigation and providing security to Sharma is the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry.“
Bishwokarma said Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala told the House meeting on Tuesday that MoFA’s duty is liaison with line ministries.
He questioned the “credibility” of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal who shied away from the House panel meet on Tuesday. “We were informed by the PM’s secretary 15 minutes before the meeting that he had left for the venue to attend the meeting. But he never turned up. This is disgusting.”
It is likely that MoFA will ask the Home Ministry to start the probe into the alleged threat and ascertain details of the alleged threats made by Das over telephone. “We have not yet received any request from MoFA or any quarter regarding the need for investigation,” said Jay Mukunda Khanal, spokesman at Home Ministry.
Posted on: 2010-08-12 07:39
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