The Foreign Service is in virtual turmoil over the proposed appointment of a non-career diplomat to one of the most politically crucial posts in overseas missions - the deputy permanent representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations.
The post, more recently with ambassadorial rank, has traditionally been held by career diplomats, including Ben Fonseka, Elmo Seneviratne, Nihal Rodrigo, Janaka Nakkawitta, Elmo Joseph, N. Balasubramaniam, Edmond Jayasinghe, Bernard Goonatilake, Bob Jayasinghe and A.L.A Azeez.
According to rumours floating in the corridors of the Foreign Ministry, the post is now to be filled by an official of the BOI, as a reciprocal favour for services rendered to Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, who was once the head honcho of BOI. ''Ït's a major IOU from the days of BOI," says one official pointing out that the appointment ''ïs galvanizing the entire foreign service into some strong action."
With some European countries are planning to exert pressure on Sri Lanka over perceived violations of human rights-- with possible Security Council action next year--- the diplomatic mission in New York needs to be strengthened, not weakened. The indications from the Ministry are that this is going to be a tough call for the Government, not because of the inability of its officers, but due to political meddling in the Foreign Service, which now threatens to derail the very overseas mission which has been defending the Government on the diplomatic front . The bottom line, says one Ministry official, is: "The Minister is destroying the Foreign Service single handedly." |
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