Following the decision from the National Consultative Committee of the Democratic Party, Parliament led an irregular session last week to replace six ministers and seven vice ministers from the Mongolian People’s Party in Prime Minister Saikhanbileg’s cabinet. It is such a waste of time and money. In a civilized and democratic country it is the Prime Minister who decides whether to replace several ministers or not. The Mongolian government has become an unstable institution because all power and authority are held by political party factions rather than a coalition of political parties.
When discussing the replacement of Cabinet members, Parliament first talks about the structure of the government, which leads to political parties trading positions of ministers and vice ministers with each other. Eventually, they decide to change the cabinet structure and oust the Prime Minister. Afterwards, they waste six months integrating and disintegrating different ministries and agencies, and replacing signs and nametags. This trend has already been set.
The most woeful thing is that such decisions and changes completely overturn the future and the faith of public servants. When a minister gets replaced, the bureaucrats they appointed are laid off and are replaced with people who share the same political party affiliation, alma mater, or family as the new minister. Those that were let go start filing lawsuits, which is the reason why our courts have too many proceedings these days. The newly appointed bureaucrats only pretend to be doing their job because they understand that they do not possess the required knowledge and experience for it, and are aware that their position is only temporary. Looking forward to the upcoming election, they only organise events and come up with award ceremonies to collect donations for their political party.
The development of a country is dependent on the efficiency of its civil service, which includes the capability, ethics, and discipline of public servants. If that is the case, where do Mongolia’s public servants come from?
PUBLIC SERVANTS FOR A YEAR
Mongolia actually has a law on civil service, which sets out in great detail how public servants must be selected for a position, transferred to different positions, and what activities they are not supposed to be undertaking. However, this law, like many other laws in Mongolia, does not get implemented. The authorities violate the law on civil service the most frequently. Newly appointed ministers replace 40 to 50 percent of all employees in their ministry. The replacement is required as most positions are given through the backdoor rather than through a merit-based system.
But politicians do not care about what is going on at this level. As long as they get their piece of the pie, they do not blink an eye as the civil service system continues to sink. Every member of Parliament, an institution which revolves around coalitions and alliances of individuals representing different political parties, secretly or openly desires becoming a minister.
There needs to be an institution that provides training and prepares public servants in the civil service of Mongolia.The time we are living in requires that all public positions, particularly ministers, be filled with professional individuals who have been trained adequately.
Let us have a look at some ideas around how people in the foreign relations branch of government, for example, can be trained. The other branches can also follow these ideas to build their own system. By the end of the first quarter of this year, there were 120 employees based in the main building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A total of 310 people were on Mongolia’s diplomatic missions in other countries. The diplomatic resident missions had 232 people, 155 of which were professionals and approximately 80 non-professionals. There have been an increased number of complaints against these so-called diplomats, the non-professionals who were appointed by decision makers, taking up positions, living abroad, and having the government pay for everything.
The recently appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs told such individuals to return to Mongolia, at their own expense, and take a test for their position, which sparked enormous opposition from his own political party and the wider political spectrum. At the end of this upheaval, only time will tell whether or not Mongolia’s foreign affairs are brought to a better position, and whether or not there will still be non-professionals appointed by the authorities to a job that requires professional skills.
PREPARING DIPLOMATS
The Rio Branco Institute (IRBr) named after the Baron of Rio Branco, who was the father of Brazilian diplomacy and Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil one hundred years ago, is Brazil’s only school for preparing diplomats. Regardless of how prestigious a school of international relations one has graduated from, one must graduate from the IRBr to work in Brazil’s foreign relations.
The IRBr, which is run by the Ministry of External Relations of Brazil, has prepared approximately 2,100 diplomats since it was first set up 70 years ago. Besides training diplomats, the institute provides a career program and frequently welcomes experienced foreign diplomats who give lectures.
Although thousands of young people wish to be enrolled in the IRBr, there are only a few who meet the criteria. The applicants must be a citizen of Brazil, have a bachelor’s degree, and have met their civil obligations of military service and electoral participation.
The IRBr entrance examination takes place every year throughout all 26 states of Brazil, at the same date and time. The whole process is open and transparent. The applicants must have perfect fluency in their mother language; therefore they first take a test in Portuguese, then in English, Spanish, and French. Afterwards, there are nine exams in five areas: international relations, history, geography, international law, and economics. The language test, which has around 15 pages, lasts for five hours. The tests on major subjects require applicants to write a 600-word essay answering one main and two follow-up questions. The entrance examination takes place on weekends and lasts for eight months. One has to score 60 to 100 points to pass. Every year the exam is taken by 5,000 applicants on average, only 20 to 30 of which are granted entry to the IRBr.
Passing the exam and being admitted to the IRBr means that the applicant can now become a diplomat. In this sense, the person has job security. Students spend 1.5 years at the IRBr, receiving intense training and classes on international relations, international law, geography, history, economics, and diplomacy. Also, they study an additional language (Chinese, Arabic, or Russian) of their choosing. In the last six months of their study, students spend the morning taking classes, and in the afternoon they intern at relevant organizations of the Ministry of External Relations.
The entry exam is created by CESPE, an independent test center run by the University of Brasília. The author is kept confidential. The selection process is fair and not influenced by politicians and decision makers.
A young diplomat who has just graduated from IRBr starts his career as a third secretary before moving on to second secretary, first secretary, and eventually taking a position as a councilor. Above the position of councilor, there are positions for Minister of Second Class and Minister of First Class. In between these positions, one will continue to receive professional training. For example, in order to progress from second secretary to first secretary, a diplomat must complete intensive training for one month and pass an exam. In order to become a councilor, one must have worked for seven years on a diplomatic mission overseas.
It takes 28 to 30 years to become a Minister of First Class. To do so, one must have worked no less than 10 years on a diplomatic mission abroad and gained extensive experience. This means that one becomes a Minister of First Class by the age of 50 to 55.
The President of Brazil appoints Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from amongst the Ministers of First Class (very rarely from Ministers of Second Class), which are approved by the National Congress of Brazil. The appointed ambassador will represent the president in a foreign country. Therefore, this role requires a great deal of international relations and academic skills. In order to become an ambassador, one has to complete a doctoral degree dissertation, and present it before the academic council of the IRBr. It takes 8 to 12 months to prepare for this presentation, and one is freed from their daily work for 60 days. The academic work must be assessed by three reputable ambassadors and guided by two instructors. For example, one instructor would be a subject matter expert working in the ministry and the other would be a professor from a prestigious university. Therefore, all Brazilian ambassadors are scholars. More than 700 academic works written by the scholar ambassadors of Brazil have been published since 1978. Every year the IRBr provides training to three to five young diplomats from other countries.
Last year the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia established an Academy of Diplomats for the first time ever. However, it looks like this academy has a handful people, but does not even have a budget and a stamp. A good government starts with good people. Are the most capable, talented, and ethical people being appointed to civil service in Mongolia? No. But why?
2015.08.05