Glitches, ghost shortlists and opaque choices undermine the drive for new ambassadors
Summary
The government’s public application process for ambassadorial posts has come under fire after it failed to publish a shortlist, evaluation criteria or the reasoning behind 13 nominations. Questions have also been raised over the suitability of some nominees, including a former army chief and candidates with NGO or foreign links.
Key Points
- More than 4,400 people applied for ambassadorial positions, but the government never made the shortlist public before naming 13 nominees.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not explained how the final candidates were chosen or what criteria were used to assign them to specific countries.
- The nominations have sparked controversy over transparency and possible conflicts of interest, including concerns about foreign residency, NGO ties and military backgrounds.
- The remaining nine diplomatic missions still do not have appointed heads.
