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Lanka army chief quits to mount electoral challenge to President Rajapaksa | | General Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka's ceremonial Chief of Defence Staff and former Army Chief, who oversaw a successful military operation to crush the rebel
Tamil Tigers in May this year, has resigned from his post to challenge the country's powerful President, Mahinda Rajapaksa in presidential elections scheduled for
April next year. General Fonseka confirmed that he had stood down from his position
as chief of the defence staff but declined to detail his future plans. "I gave
my retirement papers. I have been serving my country in the past and I will serve
the country in future as well," the general told reporters after performing religious
rituals at a Buddhist temple near Colombo on Thursday. Fonseka, reports said,
is expected to lead an alliance of nine small opposition groups in the election.
Last week, it was announced that the main opposition, the United National Party,
had formed an alliance with nine smaller groups to challenge President Rajapaksa,
whose current term ends in April. The Independent quoted them as saying that their
main aim was to scrap the country's powerful presidency and increase the say of
parliament under a prime minister. Now, as evidence mounts about a falling-out
between the general on the one hand and the President and his brother (Gothabaya)
- who heads the defence department - on the other, there have been a flurry of
reports in the Sri Lankan media that General Fonseka is in talks with the new
coalition to stand as its presidential candidate. "I can't comment as I am still
in uniform. I will decide my future once my retirement comes into effect at the
end of this month. I have the same basic right as anybody else," he said. Some
Sri Lankan observers say General Fonseka believes the Rajapaksa brothers have
stolen the glory for defeating the LTTE, who had waged a bitter 25-year war, while
his own role has been largely overlooked. |
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