The Government faces an uphill battle in reforming state departments long controlled by a ‘class’ of officials who operate like machines indifferent to public needs.
This is particularly true in the Sri Lanka’s Foreign Service where high-level appointments have for years been handed out based on political connections rather than on merit. The Government, under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is taking steps to address the rampant nepotism regarding these appointments.
Many State departments function as if the officials were perched on a mountain looking down on the citizens they are supposed to serve. These officials hold the power to summon the public and meet them at their own convenience only to send them away with vague promises that their requests are “being processed.”
It’s a system that disregards the time and effort ordinary citizens spend travelling from one department to another, often facing bureaucratic delays that can last indefinitely is indeed frustrating.
Where the Foreign Service is concerned, this attitude is exacerbated by the fact that key positions in Foreign missions are mostly filled by relatives and associates of political figures. These appointees who lack the necessary qualifications often act as if they are untouchable.
When we attempted to inquire about this issue, the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Human Resources and Mission Management Division first denied that a department head was available to respond. When pressed, they offered a generic reply: “Please send us an email and we’ll see what we can do.”
The response was in essence, the bureaucratic equivalent of telling citizens to wait while the privileged few continue to enjoy their benefits. Nepotism in Sri Lanka’s Foreign Service has transformed embassies into a haven for relatives of politicians who use these postings not to serve the country but to secure a luxurious life abroad.
Many of these individuals are sent to foreign missions under the guise of official appointments but end up pursuing personal education or other interests, all funded by taxpayers.
Processing
In light of recent reports, we contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask whether action was being taken to recall individuals appointed through political influence. Our letter raised several key questions: Has the Ministry identified these politically connected appointees? Is President Dissanayake instructing their recall? How much public money has been spent on these individuals? Not surprising, the Ministry’s response was that our inquiry was “being processed.”
These politically appointed officials act as though they are accountable to none. The Ministry’s unwillingness to provide clear answers only reinforces the perception that this culture of impunity continues to thrive. Sources within the Government confirm that many embassies have become ‘dormitories’ for children of politicians sent abroad to receive an education at the public’s expense.
While it is not wrong to appoint notable dignitaries or intellectuals to Foreign Service posts, such appointments are meant to raise the country’s profile not serve as a personal favour to politicians’ families. The contrast between qualified Foreign Service personnel and politically appointed persons has created an atmosphere of hostility where genuine professionals often find themselves undermined by those who are only interested in personal gain.
It has become a common practice for ministers to secure official residences, vehicles and high salaries for their children under the guise of Foreign Service postings, all with Cabinet approval. These privileges are not extended to children of ordinary citizens. Moreover, politicians often appoint friends and relatives to posts for which they are unqualified bypassing the rigorous Foreign Service examination process.
Humanoids
This hidden path to power and privilege remains obscured by the confidentiality of Cabinet sanction. Even though these decisions are made behind closed doors, they are known to the public which is getting increasingly frustrated with a system that seems designed to benefit only those with political patronage.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry’s, Foreign Missions Division directed us to inquire directly from the Foreign Secretary, Aruni Wijewardena about these nepotism-related appointments and thus we have forwarded our queries and are awaiting the response. However, it remains to be seen whether the Government will have the resolve to confront and dismantle the entrenched networks of patronage that have long plagued Sri Lanka’s Foreign Service.
Without decisive action, these ‘humanoid’ officials will continue to act with impunity, leaving the public to suffer the consequences of a system built to serve the few at the expense of the many.