In what must surely be for the first time since Independence, the country's professional diplomats have disassociated themselves from a statement issued by their own Ministry on new appointments to Sri Lankan missions abroad.

There can be nothing worse to the credibility of an official Government statement than having it critiqued "as an attempt to mislead the public".

Politicisation of the Foreign Ministry is not an entirely new phenomenon. And, it is not entirely a bad exercise. The infusion of 'outsiders' is studded with some exemplary names. There are few to match the likes of Shirley Amarasinghe, for example, who came in from the public service into the field of diplomacy. But then, a few swallows don't make a summer. The practice was badly abused. Cronyism, nepotism and the encashment of political IOUs became the order, not the exception - until Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar came in to try and stem the rot. He was determined to rebuild the Foreign Service into a truly professional outfit.

Mr. Kadirgamar set about the task of professionalising the Foreign Service (SLFS) by having an Open Competitive Exam to draw in the cream of talent. Then he drafted the services of retired senior diplomats to train the new recruits, both in the intricacies of foreign relations, and in complicated social etiquette. He then crafted a detailed document that outlined the Do's and Don'ts for those who were going to be the backbone of the country's foreign policy. This ranged from proficiency in languages to promotions, increments, medical treatment, children's education, allowances, limits of approved cadre, even heating and cooling of residences, marriages to foreign nationals, the acceptance of foreign medals and the destruction of secret documents during times of war breaking out in countries. And, "that the appointing authority for recruitment to the SLFSA shall be the Public Service Commission".

This was not a mere document that was shelved in the Foreign Ministry. It was legalised by way of a Gazette (No.1168/17), and made into law on January 29, 2001. Today, that Gazette has become a 'mere scrap of paper', and appointments to the SLFS are made at the whim and fancy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. For all intents and purposes, it is on the Foreign Minister's recommendation that the President appoints an ambassador. A whole host of ambassadors have been so appointed to important overseas missions, and these include the President's own relatives as well. Then, as if to return the favour for recommending his picks, the President goes on to appoint the minister's own choices, and this includes the minister's sister-in-law as ambassador to Singapore. A 'one for you; one for me' act between the President and the Minister.
Our front page news story on this 'revolt' within the Foreign Ministry refers to what were accepted norms in the career officers-political appointees ratio of 70-30 being turned upside-down to 40-60, and even the Cabinet of Ministers blindly approving the Foreign Minister's nominees, overruling their own approved cadres for posts. There doesn't seem to be one minister who questions these ad-hoc appointments. It's a case of 'you scratch my back, and I will scratch yours'.

The Parliamentary Select Committee on High Posts is as good as a dead duck when it comes to screening these appointments. True, the President must have at times got quite frustrated with the performance of some ambassadors, and some missions overseas. But the answer to this is not to pack the missions with people who claim to be loyalists - or relatives. They must be properly and painstakingly selected. Some of them have to be coaxed to give up their lucrative jobs and serve the country. And, the backbone of the bureaucracy must not be broken, and their spirit destroyed.

Due partly to this frustration of the President in not getting his way with the performance of some missions, there has been a proposal to amalgamate the Sri Lanka Administrative Service with the Sri Lanka Foreign Service. But the Kadirgamar Gazette already provides for this. It welcomes those from the Public Service into the Foreign Service, but there is a system in place on how it should be done. For one, an applicant must be less than 40 years; she/he must have a degree, and must then sit for an exam on subjects such as world affairs.

Unfortunately, the non-implementation of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution is also at the root of this problem. It is because of this hiatus that the Public Service Commission's overall supervision of the Gazette of January, 2001 is disengaged, and the President and the Foreign Minister have a free hand to appoint as they please, even to by-pass existing Cabinet decisions and Ministerial Transfer Boards on routine staff movement to overseas missions. The sooner this 17th Amendment is re-enforced the better. The Foreign Minister may break records roaming the world, but at home, his Ministry is obviously in shambles.