Sri Lanka’s news President has picked a hardline veteran of battles with the Liberation Tigers as the new chief of the Army.
Lt. General Sarath Fonseka, took over as the new Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Tuesday.
His first order of business was to visit the Forward Defence Lines (FDLs) in the Jaffna peninsula, where he was
commander during the difficult and ultimately abortive negotiations in 2002-3 between the former United National Front
(UNF) government and the LTTE.
Lt. Gen. Foneseka is the 17th Commander of the Army and succeeds Lt. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda, against whom he had
unsuccessfully competed for the post in 2003.
Though due to retire early this month when he completed 55 years, Lt. Gen. Kottegoda had been given an extended tenure
of 18 months under controversial regulations, gazetted just three weeks ahead of presidential elections, which increased the
upper age limit for retirement of senior ranks, permitting commanders to serve up to 60 years. This has since been
reversed.
Lt. Gen. Fonseka is regarded as one of the best battlefield commanders in the near two decades of war with the Tamil
Tigers, Sunday Times’ Defence correspondent Iqbal Athas wrote.
He triggered a storm of controversy in December 2002 when he flatly refused to honour the Army’s obligations under the
Ceasefire Agreement to withdraw from occupied civilian areas.
Meanwhile, the newly elected Sri Lankan administration will continue to maintain healthy ties with India and is also keen to
have better military relations, according to Indian Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen. B S Takhar.
"The new Lankan Government is keen to have a better military relations with India. The new government has taken a
positive view of enhancing government-to-government relations with India," Takhar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief,
Headquarters Southern Command, who recently led an Army delegation to the island, said.
Lt. Gen. Takhar discussed matters of concern with government and senior army officials in Sri Lanka and exchanged views
of bilateral interest during the visit, reports said.
Lt. General Sarath Fonseka, took over as the new Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Tuesday.
His first order of business was to visit the Forward Defence Lines (FDLs) in the Jaffna peninsula, where he was
commander during the difficult and ultimately abortive negotiations in 2002-3 between the former United National Front
(UNF) government and the LTTE.
Lt. Gen. Foneseka is the 17th Commander of the Army and succeeds Lt. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda, against whom he had
unsuccessfully competed for the post in 2003.
Though due to retire early this month when he completed 55 years, Lt. Gen. Kottegoda had been given an extended tenure
of 18 months under controversial regulations, gazetted just three weeks ahead of presidential elections, which increased the
upper age limit for retirement of senior ranks, permitting commanders to serve up to 60 years. This has since been
reversed.
Lt. Gen. Fonseka is regarded as one of the best battlefield commanders in the near two decades of war with the Tamil
Tigers, Sunday Times’ Defence correspondent Iqbal Athas wrote.
He triggered a storm of controversy in December 2002 when he flatly refused to honour the Army’s obligations under the
Ceasefire Agreement to withdraw from occupied civilian areas.
Meanwhile, the newly elected Sri Lankan administration will continue to maintain healthy ties with India and is also keen to
have better military relations, according to Indian Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen. B S Takhar.
"The new Lankan Government is keen to have a better military relations with India. The new government has taken a
positive view of enhancing government-to-government relations with India," Takhar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief,
Headquarters Southern Command, who recently led an Army delegation to the island, said.
Lt. Gen. Takhar discussed matters of concern with government and senior army officials in Sri Lanka and exchanged views
of bilateral interest during the visit, reports said.