Ambassador to Qatar Maya Kumari Sharma refused to put in her papers even after the UCPN-Maoist suggestion that it would be ‘better to resign’ from the post to which she had been nominated in 2012.

Sharma said though she became ambassador from the Maoist quota, it was the government, not the party which should seek her resignation. “I will not put in papers just because the party suggests,” she said.

Sharma said she was ready to face any action the government took against her.“I am not a Maoist cadre. I represent the government. I became ambassador through parliamentary hearing.”

UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal called her last week and suggested that she resign rather than face the humiliation of dismissal, after a series of controversies related to diplomatic etiquette.

Sharma, a junior officer in Agriculture Development Bank, was appointed ambassador by the Baburam Bhattarai government in February 2012.

Dahal had made his suggestion to her following informal understanding among party leaders to direct her to resign so as to prevent the possible humiliation of being declared Persona Non-Grata by the host country Qatar.

Once, in a BBC interview, she termed her host country “an open-jail” for migrant Nepalis, later she tried to deport a Nepali who was critical about her undiplomatic behaviour. Qatari officials took exception to her activities, over which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) had sought clarification from her.

Published on: 24 September 2013 | The Himalayan Times