In my earlier blog entry, I alluded to the
fact that after an 18 month hiatus, where Sri Lanka had failed to appoint a
High Commissioner to London, we finally had a candidate who thankfully was not
even in the running until the announcement. Since then the comments of those
who are looking at means to attack the ‘yahapalanaya’ administration on this
appointment has overwhelmingly been vitriolic. Read the comments in this link
below:
This appointment has traditionally been
a political one, where people close to the leader are usually appointed to this
plum (as in prestigious) but extremely expensive. I have personal knowledge
having been a family member of a previous High Commissioner and having visited
the residence many times, though never stayed over, as I had my own place in
Central London.
It all boils down to simple prejudice!
One measures the suitability based on one’s own knowledge and experience, and
it seems there is NO understanding of how ruinous it is on one’s own finances,
if one is to do the job properly.
It was said that when Joe Kennedy was
the Ambassador to the Court of St James, under President Roosevelt, he had to spend
a big whack of his fortune to maintain the status, due to inadequate funding from
the US Govt., you can imagine how much that has gone up now with the cost of living
and entertaining in London these days. No wonder than the hugely wealthy Kumar Sangakkara
not to mention the less affluent Rosy Senanayake actually refused this offer, not
out of modesty, but simply out of selfishness!
I say suggest the alternatives and find anyone
of them who is willing and able to take on the job. I know Faiz Mustapha personally
when he was HC there, and he was saying how much he had suffered financially as
a leading lawyer in Colombo, in coming and serving his country. No wonder that another
person supposedly offered was Romesh de Silva who also felt he would lose out of
his multi-million income in Colombo as a successful lawyer if he took on the job.
There is no doubt that Amari Wijewardene
will also have to sacrifice her day to day management of her business to go to London,
as whoever she delegates will not be a patch on her ability to run this, though
her critics think it is easy!!
I wonder if she may change her mind due to the criticism. it certainly will be Sri Lanka's loss, the bigoted's gain, and Amari's bemusement on the fact that she has never been a fan of Ranil Wickremasinghe, despite the relationship, and none of the hate speech hoi palloi even know that fact, and would amuse the PM no end, as he will not tell the public that!
In truth someone would have suggested her name, and he would have resisted, and just to shut the eager beaver's imploring, may have reluctantly agreed, knowing of all those names presented, she would actually do the best job! Now take that for a fact!
Its time the readership realizes this blog has more real news of value than any of the other sources of news!
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