Foreign Ministry to recall all political heads of mission

FT - Sri Lanka

By Dharisha Bastians

All political appointees serving as heads of mission to Sri Lankan diplomatic outposts abroad will be requested to submit their resignations within a week, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said.

Minister Samaraweera told Daily FT that all political heads of mission will be recalled as soon as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assumes duties.

Sri Lanka’s most senior career diplomat Chitranganee Wagiswara has been appointed Foreign Secretary, President Maithripala Sirisena’s official website announced yesterday.

Asked if political appointees to more junior positions in Sri Lankan missions abroad would also be recalled, Minister Samaraweera said the recall would take place in a “staggered” way. “We don’t want things to come to a standstill,” Samaraweera told Daily FT.

He said the Foreign Ministry would revert to the older system of appointing heads of mission based on the old formula stipulated by former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

“So we will revert to having 70% of our ambassadors and high commissioners from the Foreign Service and 30% as political appointees. And even political appointees will be chosen based on their expertise and merit, not loyalties,” Minister Samaraweera said.

Sri Lanka has 62 missions and consulates overseas, of which 35 were headed by political appointees named during the previous Rajapaksa administration.