JVP roasts Govt. for loading Foreign Service with political appointments

• Says foreign service has become “Fraud Service” and “Porter Service”
• Contends political appointees heading missions in all South Asian and other key countries including China, Japan and Russia
• Appeals for the Govt. to at least establish a code of conduct for political appointees to prevent non-ambassadorial conduct`

By Ashwin Hemmathagama 

– Our Lobby Correspondent

Appointing henchmen to key diplomatic posts in strategically important locations attracted heavy criticism yesterday in Parliament, with Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) politicians pointing out that currently Sri Lanka has political appointees posted at every South Asian mission, and in many other key countries, including China, Japan, and Russia, which have key economic links to the country. 

MP Bimal Rathnayake

Taking part in the Committee Stage Debate of Budget 2019, Opposition lawmaker Bimal Rathnayake blamed the Government for not allowing career diplomats to operate the Sri Lankan missions abroad, and also allowing the henchmen to behave unprofessionally.

According to MP Rathnayake, the SAARC countries, except for Bhutan where Sri Lanka has no mission, are filled with henchmen. “The Ambassador and High Commissioner posts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan and Maldives are occupied by political appointees. We have political appointees as Ambassadors in Russia, China, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, South Korea, and Canada,” he said.

Highlighting the fact of Sri Lanka neglecting to appoint an ambassador to the United States for over a year, said: “We thank the Government for showing Sri Lanka is the strongest country in the world and can afford to neglect the mighty United States. The President and Prime Minister together turned Sri into a superpower that does not even care for Washington,” he said.

Rathnayake, also looking at the corrupt appointees of the Rajapaksa regime, held that Udayanga Weeratunga and Jaliya Wickramasooriya, have made Sri Lanka’s Foreign Service into a “Fraud Service,” as they are currently fugitives wanted for fraud by INTERPOL. 

“Meanwhile, political appointees under the current Government, such as A.S.P. Liyanage, have made the Foreign Service into a “Porter Service”. He was carrying the travelling bags of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s sons during a visit to Qatar. These were in photos,” he explained, requesting the Government to establish a code of conduct for political appointees if the Government is reluctant to avoid appointing henchmen to the foreign missions. (AH)