Kathmandu, Oct. 15 -- The Parliamentary Hearing Committee, dominated by lawmakers from the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party, on Wednesday rejected two of the government's ambassadorial nominees and deferred a decision on a third.

The committee unanimously rejected Giri Bahadur Sunar, nominated for Saudi Arabia, and Chudamani Kharel, nominated for Malaysia, citing concerns about their conduct and alleged financial irregularities.

The decisions mark a rare instance of a parliamentary committee rejecting ambassadorial nominees recommended by the government. The rejection of nominees put forward by its own government also raises questions about possible differences between the ruling party and the government. The RSP commands a majority in t...