The Irony of inept statements is lost on the Govt. – the recall of our envoy in KSA

Hot on the heels of the execution of the innocent Rizana Nafeek thanks to the ineptness of the Government of Sri Lanka, and its coterie of overmanned ministerial posts, the comedy of errors continues.

As if to proclaim their disgust of the action by the authorities in KSA (Saudi Arabia – the only country named after a family) the Government made a statement through one of the Ministers, I cannot remember whom and whether he was even entitled to make a statement to that effect, that they have recalled the Ambassador as a sign of protest.

If they have any idea as to the protocol of these things recalling is instant, effectively the next plane back to Sri Lanka. Many planes have flown to Sri Lanka since the statement, but the Ambassador remains in KSA!!!!

Yesterday following on a question asked in Parliament by a UNP MP, the Govt. through the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that he would be back in the Island before the end of the month. In the history of recalls this must be the slowest recall of an Ambassador. No wonder then that Rizana met this fate as it was sheer procrastination on the part of the Govt. that sealed her fate. After all the first thing they should have done was to prove her age beyond reasonable doubt, something they could easily have done without much cost and effort.

When there is a Govt. that cannot take account of the basics how on earth can they go on to more complicated matters?

To dwell on the recall of the Ambassador what appears to be the reality is that the Ambassador is completing his assignment and closing stay there and is returning not to go back. SO the whole farce is now in the open, and we are so incompetent we do not appear to have the ability to express our disgust in normal diplomatic actions, namely the recall of the Ambassador. That is a shameful example of the ineptness of the Foreign Office and of the capabilities and management of this administration.

When will the populace learn that we currently have a government that cannot do anything right, and blames all on something called protocol that is invented for the benefit of the West and that Sri Lanka acts according to their own protocol, which means that none of our citizens overseas that contribute so much can be safeguarded as we do not agree with the way these safeguards are established!!!