At Sharm el-Sheik last week, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had told some of the Sri Lankan delegates that Ambassador HMGS Palihakkara had informed him two days ago of his decision to relinquish the post of Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN (PRUN) shortly-- primarily for personal reasons. And in the presence of both Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona, he had remarked, " it would be hard to find such an excellent and most humane ambassador as Palihakkara". This information (which was a breaking news at Sharm al Sheikh) seems to have caught both the Minister and the Secretary unawares. The President had reportedly gone on to add "you people fought each other, while Palihakkara was working hard both day and night to prevent resolutions against Sri Lanka in New York."'
A few delegates, who were privy to this discussion, think that this Presidential barb at the Minister and his Foreign Secretary was aimed to put an end to the Minister's expectation that he would have a hand in the selection of Palihakkara's successor, and to Kohona's own plans. The President had apparently also criticized the Foreign Ministry for recommending to him that Sr Lanka should not take over the chairmanship of G 15, in response to which Bogols had told him that it was former PRUN Prasad Kariyawasam who had sent that recommendation, implying that it was not he who did it.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry is still contemplating over an offer to Sri Lanka to chair the Group of 77, the largest and most powerful economic grouping of 130 developing countries at the UN. Since it is Asia's turn to chair the Group, the offer is on the table. But if Sri Lanka decides to accept this -- with the approval of the Asian group at the UN-- the Sri Lanka Mission to the UN needs to be bolstered with additional staff (since the chairmanship is virtually a full time job with an office on the 39th floor of the UN building).
Undiplomatic ditch
Talking of voluntary resignations, at the other end of the UN sprectrum, Sri Lanka's PR in Geneva, Dayan Jayatillake has been summarily 'sacked' by a letter from the Foreign Ministry. A month or so back, news of his imminent removal sparked a debate in the local media about his efficiency if not his efficacy in delivering the goods; but all this has been to no avail. The FM seems un-impressed, and despite an 'assurance' that he could remain till August 2010, he is being re-called a year ahead. It seems it will now look like a life back to academia from diplomacy. The Unis here might need some of his skills the way things are in the campuses.
In a telephone link up from Geneva, Dr. Jayatilleke told the Sunday Times last night that Colombo’s decision comes barely two months after his contract was extended until August 2010.
“In a letter dated March 21, 2009, Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona on the instructions of the President had advised me that my term of office had been extended to August 2010. However, I never made any request for such an extension, it was purely a decision taken by Colombo,” Dr. Jayatilleke explained.
“Now they tell me that I must give up the office. I have no objections to that, but it should have been done through the proper channels. If the Government believes that I had stepped out of line in any manner then it’s only polite that they inform me accordingly”, he further said.
“People holding high office should be treated on merit, and in my case past experience speaks for it self. I will now return to Colombo and take up lecturing at the Colombo University, Dr. Jayatilleke further added.
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