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Political appointees to Sri Lanka Foreign Service

The issue of political appointments to the Sri Lanka Foreign Service has now reached the pinnacle of frenzy. In a death blow to the already ‘suffocating’ professional service, the Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris is due to sign a Cabinet Paper shortly, seeking the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers for the recruitment of 12 persons aligned with the power that be, into the permanent cadre of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service. The Memorandum, which will be submitted to the Cabinet on Wednesday, 9 March 2011, has the effect of appointing those named therein, outside the approved scheme of recruitment, from 1 April 2011.

Those named in the Cabinet Paper include the sons and daughters of politicians and of politically aligned artists, as well as  some young artists who have supported the governing party. The names of Natasha Gooneratne, Umayanga Randeniya, Vinodani Kavinga and Kisagothami Sarachchandra figure prominently in this regard. Some of the potential appointees already live abroad, which the originators of the new initiative consider is sufficient ‘exposure and experience’ required for their recruitment into the permanent cadre of the Foreign Service.    

This new move by the Minister of External Affairs departs radically from the hitherto prevalent trend of short- term political appointments effected through contracts following approval of nominee-specific Cabinet Papers. Those who were ‘contracted’ in this manner- mostly politicians and henchmen except a few war heroes, who had dedicated their lives to the defence of the country at worst of times,  were attached to the Foreign Service and enjoyed all privileges and immunities due to a professional diplomat, including foreign service allowances. With the new set of potential appointees to the permanent cadre of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, a new practice is emerging- and a new precedent is being set- for the lateral recruitment of political stooges, circumventing all laid-down procedures governing the recruitment to public service in Sri Lanka – a key aspect of rule of law and governance.

With a view to providing a contrived rationale for this hasty recruitment while the Local Government elections are due, the Cabinet Paper maintains that those named therein are being taken into the permanent cadre of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service since recruiting suitable officers following the regular procedures would take a long time when currently there is an urgent need for Foreign Service personnel in Sri Lanka’s Missions abroad. The Cabinet Paper, drafted by a retired Foreign Service Officer (Mr. S.W. Pathirajah), who has been ‘contracted’ into overseeing the Overseas Administration of the Ministry, an appointment which helps expedite the unhindered implementation of political directives on staffing of missions,  states further that with their ‘expertise and experience’, the potential appointees will strengthen the functioning of the Ministry of External Affairs and its Missions abroad. 

It is feared that once the Cabinet approves the names, the waiting period of the appointees in the Ministry will only be weeks before they are rushed to their prior-identified, preferred destinations, for ‘continuation’ of their studies abroad, or for ‘special political assignments’. It is speculated that another Cabinet Paper would follow thereafter, seeking approval for exempting them from other compulsory provisions of the Establishment Code such as Efficiency Bar requirements.

Aside from its long term impact on the credibility and impartiality of the public service, the implications of this trend of recruitment for the effective conduct of foreign relations and for the protection and promotion of national interest would itself be far reaching for the country. Several Missions of Sri Lanka will be content with in-fighting and undermining at a time when the West will be tightening the noose around us on the so-called war crimes charges. A question arises therefore whether Sri Lanka itself is volunteering to the agenda of the West by continuing to destroy the professional core of the Foreign Service in this manner.

By the way, another artist Pradeep Ratnayake, son-in-law of Prof. J.B. Dissnayake, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Thailand is being appointed as the new Consul General in Frankfurt and Dr. Hector Weerasinghe, Director/Health Services, is to take over the Consulate General in Los Angeles. 

Related Article:  Integrity of Recruitment in Sri Lanka Foreign Service

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