Non-foreign service personnel as diplomats to continue

 Despite heavily criticising political appointees to diplomatic positions made by the previous Government, non-foreign service officials will continue to man Sri Lankan embassies until the diplomatic service is improved, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament yesterday rejecting an effort to keep Foreign Service personnel at 70%.  

 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, responding to a supplementary question raised by JVP National list Bimal Rathnayake and JVP Colombo District MP Anura Dissanayake, rejected a compromise of a 70-30 regulation.

 “There is no regulation prescribing to appoint 70% from the Foreign Service and 30% from non-foreign service. We need to send capable people to man diplomatic posts. So, we will continue to make use of capable people in the Foreign Service. They are limited in numbers. 



If the Foreign Service is capable we can fill all posts from them. But until such time, we will appoint others as well. We have no plan to follow such a 70-30 policy. It will take at least a few years more to streamline the Foreign Service,” said Prime Minister.

 Comparing the historical relationship the United National Party had in terms of diplomacy in the international arena, PM Wickremesinghe said: “I was the first Deputy Minister of the Foreign Ministry. Today, we are to work with the world where connections and contacts matter. In reality, UNP Central Committee members are able to solve an issue over a telephone call. For an example, even though there is no Sri Lankan High Commissioner in the UK, we can solve an issue over a telephone conversation with the Government of the UK. We need to call back some of the Foreign Service officers to explain the policy of this government. They can’t go to the world and shout about getting hit. That era ended in 2014. Our President is Maithripala Sirisena but not King Dutugemunu.”

 However, MP Rathnayake rejecting the Prime Ministers explanation and the decision to continue appointing non-diplomats said: “During the Rajapaksa regime the foreign service was dominated by those who were not in the Foreign Service. I am not saying all of them are unsuitable but a majority were appointed based on the political relationships. The current Government pledged to rectify this. But you have appointed 23 non-foreign service people. If you look at the current statistics of Sri Lankan diplomatic postings, 51% is from the Foreign Service while 49% is from outside. We reject Prime Ministers decision to appoint non-diplomats. You can dissolve the Foreign Service and make use of some typists and clerks.”

 Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva showing the contrast between the Rajapaksa regime and the current Government said: “The regulation approves appointing a mix of people from the Foreign Service and outside the Foreign Service for foreign missions. The percentage of this mix changes from time to time. But the current Government opted to appoint more from the Foreign Service. But if you look at the period before 8th January, 22% was from the Foreign Service, 6% from the Foreign Service retired officers. In total, 52% were appointed out of Foreign Service. We were able to bring it down to 29%.” (AH)