Minister Bogollagama seeking UN job for son queried at Sec. Gen Ban's press briefing
Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama acknowledged over the weekend of seeking a UN job for his son.
Mr. Bogallagama told the Sunday Times, “As a father I will do just that, UN or otherwise. This is a personal matter within the family. My son is qualified and he is suitable to serve on the very highest office in any part of the world”. Inner City Press reported that minister Rohitha Bogollagama's letter was addressed to Ban's chief of staff Vijay Nambiar.
Sec. Gen. Ban was asked if it is 'appropriate for minister of a country that may be investigated for possible war crimes seek UN job for his son':
Excerpts from transcript of the press conference, Mar 8, 2010:
Q:Mr. Secretary-General, late last week you spoke with the President of Sri Lanka, and said that you are going to name a panel, to advise yourself, on accountability. Over the weekend, the President said that you had no right to do it and had a very different read-out of the call than we received, at least the way I hear it. Can you explain what the purpose of the Panel is and when you think you're going to name it? And also the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, also over the weekend, confirmed that he sought a job for his son with the UN. I wonder if you think that is appropriate, and is such a job going to be given?
SG: As you said, I had a frank and honest exchange of views with President [Mahinda] Rajapaksa, Thursday night, last week, over issues that were of concern to both of us. This included moving forward on political reconciliation, further movement on the condition of internally displaced persons, and the establishment of an accountability process. I am concerned with the lack of progress of the joint statement which both I and President Rajapaksa had agreed during my visit last year. I raised this issue and discussed [it]. I made clear to President Rajapaksa that I intend to move forward on a Group of Experts which will advise me on setting the broad parameters and standards on the way ahead on establishing accountability concerning Sri Lanka. For that purpose, we have agreed that I dispatch [Under-Secretary-General of Political Affairs] Lynn Pascoe in the very near future.
Q: Do you think that it's appropriate for the Foreign Minister of a country with which you are dealing with on possible war crimes to be seeking a job for his son with the UN?
SG: First of all, I am not aware of that particular case of job application of the Foreign Minister's son. As a matter of fact, any recruitment process will have to be dealt with in a most transparent and objective manner by the selection committee members. That is what the United Nations has been [using] as a principle.
11 Comments
Boggles come on...your family matters are embarrasing the country and the president. Please retire from your lavish life styles and save the country some money.
Thank you Boggles
Does this surprise ANYONE ?
I hope this Bogol will packup and go home on 8th April.
He failed to improve Sri Lanka's relations with the west.
Talking heroics to Lankan audience in Sinhalese will not improve anything. Everybody knows his and his wifes mischievous, wasteful behaviour.
Any one know FM's sons's qualifications?
Bogollagama has every right to seek a job for his son through his connections, As a matter of fact most UN jobs are political appointments and or through high level political contacts.
President Rajapaksa must ensure that Bogollagama does not comprise in any way Srilanka's interests especially in the current environment where the UN and some Western countries are gunning for the President and his brother.
In the same way the SG must ensure that he or his agents do not try to exact advantages from Bogollagama's position to fullfil their agenda to nail the government.
I am confident that Defence Secretary will make sure that the interests of the country are well protected.
Medical College for daughter!
Can a Minister in GOSL ever miss a golden opportunity
to boost his Family members. If MR is entitled to do
it locally, why not the FM internationally!!!
MR would support to "plant" a source at the UN now that
Nambiyars time is up, under the "Ape" in the Chintanaya.
Is it a Ban Ki Moons eyewash tactic? Will Ban place Sonia Gandy's and Rajapaksa's poppets to cover-up war crime? Time will tel.
notice how the tone of comments has changed ? Looks like the numbers of PATRIOTS are swelling !
Do any of you bogus patriots think that any peon in a ministry let alone a minister, secretary or a RAJAPAKSA is going to read you "learned" comments ?!!
Very soon e-mail url addresses will qualify as initial applications for Government jobs or long stays in jail....as the case may be !
I am a proud Srilankan now. Well done Rohitha Bogalagama.
Very good indeed. Way to go.
Fill all your folks in UN vacancies. Ban is not Fit to do the job when we eradicate the Tamils from our Island.
Way to go FM.
As there is not a shred of proof that Bogollagama asked Moon to get a job for his son, why is Transcurrents wasting our time with this?