The government on Friday withdrew names of the 14 ambassadorial nominees recommended by the erstwhile KP Sharma Oli-led government under the political quota.

The decision, which came a day after a new government under the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Nepali Congress (NC) was formed, will mean the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government would pick new names for different missions abroad.

The earlier recommendations will be reviewed and new names will be picked after a foreign minister is appointed, Cabinet sources told the Post.

 The erstwhile Oli-led government had recommended 22 persons as ambassadors for various missions. Names of eight persons, who were selected from among career diplomats, have been already cleared by the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee.

On Friday, during a meeting of the PHSC, UML lawmakers objected to the government decision of withdrawing the decision of earlier government, saying that it was a wrong move on the part of the new government at a time when the House panel had already made an announcement about the hearing of the 14 ambassadorial nominees.

But Maoist and NC lawmakers argued that hearing was yet to start and that only an announcement to that effect had been made.

The Maoist Centre is likely to stake claim to ambassadorial position for the person of its choice either for India or China.