NPP too politicises foreign service, defeated candidate to be posted to Cuba: SJB

• Says among the 14 newly appointed heads of Sri Lankan missions, only one is a career diplomat  

By Yohan Perera   

The rationale followed by the government in selecting suitable persons for new diplomatic postings are questionable as one National People’s Power (NPP) candidate who has been defeated in the General Election has been appointed as a head of one Sri Lankan mission abroad, a Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP alleged yesterday.

“National People’s Front (NPP) candidate Mahindadasa Ratnayake who contested the General Election from the Colombo District has been appointed as the head of the Sri Lankan mission in Cuba,” SJB MP Mujibur Rahman alleged.   “There is only one career diplomat among the 14 heads of Sri Lankan missions who were appointed recently by the present government,” he said.   

Mr. Rahman told a media briefing that the government has gone back on its promise of depoliticising diplomatic service when appointing heads of Sri Lankan missions abroad.   “NPP in its Manifesto has pledged to end politicising of diplomatic service and to do away with nepotism. The NPP actually pledged that only qualifications and the good behaviour of persons will be appointed to various government posts. However, the party has failed to keep up this pledge as relatives and those who have been in school with some of the ruling party MPs have been appointed as their secretaries,” the MP added.

“NPP pledged a system change but it seems that it is continuing the same systems followed by the governments in the past. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in Parliament recently that his advisors are working on a voluntary basis. However, contracts are awarded to these advisers without following a tender procedure. President Dissanayake seemed to be controlled by a group of racketeers now and not by his party office in Pelawatte anymore,” he also said referring to Presidential Advisor Duminda Hulangamuwa saga.