The new government, which recalled all 16 Sri Lankan heads of mission in December last year, has yet to fill eight of those positions even though half of 2025 has passed, the Daily Mirror reports.
Out of the 16 recalled missions, appointments have been made only to eight. Notably, seven of these were political appointees, despite the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) coalition’s strong pre-election stance against politicizing the Foreign Service.
Key diplomatic posts in countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, South Africa, and the UAE have gone to non-career diplomats. Cuba and Pakistan also received politically appointed envoys. In a notable exception, former Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya has been appointed as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
Although the government withdrew most political appointees made by the former regime, it retained Ambassador Mahinda Samarasinghe in Washington DC, raising concerns among career diplomats.
Historically, political appointments included relatives of influential politicians, but the new government has so far avoided appointing such individuals. However, its failure to fill half the recalled positions — including those in Malaysia, Kenya, Oman, Nepal, Seychelles, Iran, and Indonesia — after six months has drawn criticism.
Compounding the problem is a shortage of trained diplomats. The last Foreign Service batch was recruited in 2023, following a three-year hiatus since 2018, leaving the ministry stretched thin in staffing both overseas missions and internal divisions.
