President Ramchandra Paudel’s endorsement of the “Ordinance on special provisions relating to the removal of public officials from office, 2026” has terminated nearly 1,600 political appointments made before March 26 across state bodies, public enterprises, universities, and health institutions. As soon as the RSP came to power following the March 5 elections, it asked all political appointees to voluntarily resign. With the ordinance now authenticated, those who did not have been formally removed.
The disruption is already visible. The National Examinations Board has no chair, member-secretary, or nominated members, meaning no one can sign educational certificates. The removal of top officials at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has left no one to authorise urgent repairs to a Nepal Airlines aircraft grounded since April 29, potentially stranding thousands of travellers. Major healthcare institutions, including BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and the National Academy of Medical Sciences, are without leadership. Critics note that removing so many officials at once without a replacement plan risks making things worse for the very people these reforms aim to benefit, and that the use of an ordinance, when Parliament could have been summoned for the same purpose, raises questions about the government’s intent.
In parallel, the government is extending this depoliticisation logic to ambassador appointments. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has confirmed that a new open competitive modality is being prepared. Under the current procedure, at least 50% of ambassadors must come from within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the rest have historically been political appointments made by ruling parties based on loyalty and coalition arithmetic. The proposed system would raise the career diplomat quota from 50% to at least 60%, while the remaining 40% would go through open competition: public notices per country, submission of diplomatic plans, screening interviews, and evaluation by an expert panel at the Ministry. Notably, ordinary citizens would also be allowed to recommend third parties they consider suitable for specific ambassadorial posts, with the Ministry following up on such referrals.