Seven out of 8 new head of mission nominees from outside SLOS

Seven out of the eight persons nominated to serve in Sri Lankan missions overseas by the new Government are political appointees.

These include former Chief Justice Jayantha Chandrasiri Jayasuriya, P.C who has been nominated as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, USA, ex-Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa to South Africa and retired Navy officer Rear Admiral Fred Seneviratne, who was a leading member of the NPP’s retired armed forces collective, to Pakistan.

The others are R.M.M.Ratnayake, ambassador-designate to Cuba, Professor Arusha Vinodhini Cooray to the United Arab Emirates, Prof. Pivithuru Janak Kumarasinghe to Japan, and Upali Senadheera as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

A career diplomat Mahishini Colonne is High Commissioner-designate to New Delhi, India, the only one from the Sri Lanka Overseas Service (SLOS) to be appointed in the new government’s first batch of ambassadorial appointees.

Their names have been sent to the Parliament High Post Committee which examines the suitability of such candidates.

The public have been notified to make representations, if they so wish,  with regard to these nominations/appointments and send it to the “The Secretary, Committee on High Posts, Committee Office, Parliament of Sri Lanka, Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte” on or before 10 March 2025.

Meanwhile, 22 ministry secretaries who have already assumed office too will be called before the committee for confirmation.

The Committee on High Posts examines the suitability of persons who have been either appointed to any post or nominated to hold office including all Secretaries to Cabinet Ministries, all persons proposed to be appointed as Heads of Sri Lanka Missions abroad and Chairpersons of Boards, Corporations and other State Institutions.