How Did Mahinda Destroy Our Diplomatic Missions?

| by Rifai 

( December 26, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) JVP Leader Anura Kuamara Desanakyake in one of his parliament debates brings out a list of our Sri Lankan high commissioners and diplomatic professionals in Foreign Service. . He argues that most of the names in his list are political appointees of Mahinda. Recently Mahinda appointed high level diplomatic professionals to some countries. Councillor Generals, high commissioners and secretaries are appointed in recent time. As it has been revealed in parliament by AKD most of them are relatives of politicians or some close friends of MR and his cohort. This is indeed a shame and disgrace for our nation. No previous president did like this. This is an open dishonesty and clear cut favouritism. MR misused his power to appoint some unqualified people to some diplomatic mission so that his friends and relatives could have luxurious life at public expenses. 

As result of this our graduates and diplomatic people who have been working for many years in our foreign service are left out and marginalised. This is indeed a clear cut waste of our rich human resources and skills. This is a disaster and mockery of our civil service examination.

We have an excellent system of selecting some of the best brains into Foreign Service. SLOS (Sri Lankan overseas service examination has been one of the best examination systems to choose the most qualified candidates from our graduates. It is very much similar to UK fast stream system that selects government civil service professional through vigorous examination. 

Along with IQ examination we have some solid examining system to select for oversea service and yet, no doubt politicians used their influence to select their own people at the second stage of selecting process. Yet, this time since MR came to power most of people who have been chosen to Foreign Service are political appointees. Most of them do not have any academic or professional qualifications. According to JVP Leader that some of them are selected merely on political influence. At some of them do not have any basic qualifications at all. Some of them even did not get admission to any universities in Sri Lanka. Some of them could not get any degree or some of them even could not pass SLOS examination. These people do not have standard IQ to work in diplomatic service and yet, it was through political influence and from back doors these people are appointed to diplomatic missions. 

As result of this our graduates and diplomatic people who have been working for many years in our foreign service are left out and marginalised. This is indeed a clear cut waste of our rich human resources and skills. This is a disaster and mockery of our civil service examination. If politicians can override our oversea examination systems and rule of law why do we have oversea examinations in Sri Lanka? If politicians appoint civil servants at their will why do we need to have examinations? 

It is MR and his friends who have distorted this service. They have degraded this service. Today, Army officers, Businessmen and politicians without any qualifications are in this service. Our country will pay a big price for this? It is reported JVP Leader Anura Kuamara Desanakyake’s debate in parliament on this matter has been excluded from Parliament proceeding. Because politicians do not want the shameless names go on the proceeding. They know well that these appointments are illegal and illegitimate. It would be a historical blunder if their names are included in parliament proceeding. That is why they have objected to include these names as mentioned by JVP Leader Anura Kuamara Desanakyake. It is an utter discrimination and fraud to overlook qualified people in diplomatic service. Some people have been working for the Foreign Service for years and they do not have any promotions and yet, these political thugs have given diplomatic posts and statues without any basic qualifications. 

Today corruption is wide spread in all departments. It stated with MR family. One of his sons was given promotion in navy while many senior navy members are overlooked in promotion. One of MR’s relatives is promoted to the post of the chairman of Sri Lankan Airline although he does not have GCSE qualification according to JVP leader JVP Leader Anura Kuamara Desanakyake. The extended family members of MR are given posts, positions and promotions without any academic qualifications or experiences. This is how MR and co destroyed civil service in Sri Lanka. |Today no one could open his or her mouth against this cruel nepotism. People who could not no longer work with MR have left him in the interest of the country. It is the duty and responsibility of people now to wake up and make up their minds in order to vote for Maithri to dislodge this family nepotism from Sri Lankan sail. It is in the interest of each and very poor Sri Lankan people should dislodge this family from politics, otherwise it is poor in Sri Lanka who are going to suffer. How long MR and co could fool 20 million Sri Lankans? Time will tell us this and yet, on 08/01/15 people will decide their fate. I’m sure people will teach a good lesson for MR and family on this eventful day in Sri Lankan politics. 

All those people who have benefited from him one way or another cannot leave him now. Because of his favouritism for their families and relatives. Hezbollah, Azwar, Fouzi, Karuna and so many others do not have any political principles and they do not do any good for the country. Yet, with the help of MR and co they managed to lead a luxurious life at the expense of 20 million poor Sri Lankans. It is fair? Is it justice to let them to loot public money? MR and his family is a root cause of all corruption today. There is no way we could stop corruption from the surface of Sri Lanka unless and until we dislodge the root cause. That is why MR and his family. 

JVP Leader listed following names as of political appointees in diplomatic missions. Please listen to his speech for the lists of political appointees of diplomatic missions. 

“Among the political appointees Mr. Dissanayaka revealed in Parliament are: Sarath Kongahage – Ambassador, Germany – Former Chairman of SLRC Nawalage Bannet Cooray – Ambassador, Italy – Former SLFP organizer for Kolonnawa Gamini Rajapaksa – Ambassador, Jordan – Former Deputy Minister of the UNP government H.R. Piyasiri – Ambassador Myanmar – Former Parliamentarian of the UNP Buddhi Athawuda – Ambassador, Netherlands – Minister Athauda Senevirtna’s son Udayanga Weeratunga – Amabssador, Russia – Presidents brother in law Jaliya Wickremesooriya – Ambassador, USA – President’s brother in law Dikson Daala – High Commissioner Maldives – father of Pradeep Nilanga Daala, Diyawadana Nilame of the Temple of the Tooth, a close friend of the President. ASP Liyanage- Ambassador Nigeria – a property trader and a close friend of the President Oshadhi Alahapperuma– Ambassador Sweden, Younger brother of Minister Dulles Alahapperuma Yasara Abeynayake – Consular in Sydney – Gamini Fonseka’s daughter Bharathy Wijeratna – Ambassador, Turkey – Former Minister Mano Wijeratne’s wife Dr. Yvonne Amarasinghe – Ambassador, Vietnam – President’s close friend Srimal Wickremesinghe – Deputy Head, Vienna – Brother of Ms. Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of the President Waruna Epasinghe – Embassy in Washington – A son of a government adviser Karaunaratna Pranavithana – Consul General, Canada – former Chairman of SLRC, a defeated candidate at an election WKS Dissanayaka – first Secretary , Abu Dhabi – a relative of the President Lalith U. Gamage – Indonesian Embassy – a SLFP politician from Galle HNB Ratnayaka – Second Secretary, Russia – Minister C,B, Ratnayaka’s son Lionel Premasiri – Deputy Secretary General, Canada – Former organizer of the SLFP in Galle Harshana Herath – Second Secretary, Singapore – Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa PC Mahipala Herath’s son Chamithri Rambukwelela – Second Secretary, New York – Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s daughter Muthu Padmakumara – Second Secretary, London – the daughter of Chairman of Lake House Bandula Padmakumara Methsiri Cooray – Ambassador, Netherlands – President’s close friend Dr. Crtin Waidyarathna, High Commissioner in London – wife of Dr. Ajith Ratnayaka Umayangana Randeniya – Second Secretary, Singapore – Daughter of Ravindra Randeniya, adviser to the President Commander JM Bandara – Second Secretary, Kuwait – Bother of National list MP Janaka Bandara Dixon J. Perera – Consul General, Nepal – Former Secretary of the SLFP MI Kudukewaththa – First Secretary, Beijing – The daughter of the head of the Presidential Security Division Rathna Ranaweera – Second Secretary, Canberra – The daughter of the Additional Secretary to the President Farial Ashroff – High Commissioner, Singapore – Former Parliamentarian."

This is the reality of our political situation today and yet, politicians have been hiding these realities from public. It is high time now to realise the truth and make a difference. If public fail to change the political leadership this time, they will have to wait another 10 years or more to dislodge MR and family from politics. By then these political crooks might have emptied the government coffers as dictators do in other countries.