Sri Lankan president may appoint new Chief of Defense Staff

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse may appoint one of the service commanders as the new Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) after he approved the retirement request of the incumbent CDS General Sarath Fonseka with immediate effect, government sources said on Saturday.

Sources close to the president said Rajapakse had ordered Fonseka be deemed to have resigned with immediate effect in spite of an earlier decision to let him continue in that post until Dec.1, 2009.

In this case, the president could appoint one of the service commanders to act as the CDS during the period originally given to Fonseka.

Fonseka informed the president of his desire to resign and enter politics officially at a one-to-one meeting on Wednesday. Sources described their meeting as cordial.

Fonseka spearheaded the government's successful war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) before being promoted to the rank General and appointed the CDS.

The Army waged its final battle on the bank of the Nanthikadal lagoon in the north, where troops killed LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his top commanders on May 18.

Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management Mahida Samarasinghe said Rajapakse's reply to Fonseka's resignation letter is being prepared.

Sources close to Fonseka said the general's security has been reduced and the Army's elite Commandos were replaced by the contingent of 40 Sinha Regiment soldiers. He has been given a bullet proof vehicle at his request and also four back-up vehicles.

Fonseka has been tipped to be the common candidate from the opposition against Rajapakse, who is scheduled to announce the dates of the island's next presidential election and parliament election soon.

Source: Xinhua