UNP raises political appointees in Foreign Service

Friday, 22 February 2013 01:34 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

304 non career diplomats posted in missions around the world

By Ashwin Hemmathagama

Our Lobby Correspondent

The Foreign Service of Sri Lanka has provided opportunities for relations of politicos both in the Government as well as the Opposition to serve in diplomatic missions around the world, Deputy Minister of External Affairs Neomal Perera acknowledged in the Parliament in response for a question raised by UNP MP Anoma Gamage.

According to Gamage, the daughters of Minister of Mass Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella and Ravindra Randeniya serve in Sri Lankan diplomatic missions abroad, creating doubts on the selection process and suitability to represent the country.

“It is true that the Sri Lanka Foreign Service lacks suitable officers. But recruiting people due to influence creates serious issues in the Foreign Service. The only two institutions that provide training for the new recruits are the BMICH and the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies, which is inadequate,” she said.

According to Deputy Minister Perera, not only the relatives of the pro-Government politicians, but “the nephew of Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe also serves in Europe in one of the Sri Lankan diplomatic missions. We give them training before being posted. They are good and suitable to hold the positions,” confirmed Deputy Minister Perera.

Currently there are 304 Sri Lankans who are not career diplomats but recruited outside the cadres of the Foreign Service serving in diplomatic missions around the world. These recruitments include 24 from the Department of Commerce, eight from the Department of Labour, 18 from the Foreign Employment Bureau, 12 from the Ministry of Defence, 13 from the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, 205 in management assistant service, nine consular officers, nine communication officers, and six office assistants and drivers. In addition there are 68 Sri Lankans working abroad as heads of delegations as well as in a category which the Deputy Minister failed to identify.