REFUGEE

The Defence Secretary has decided to appoint Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshall Roshan Gunthileka as the Acting Chief of Defence Staff until the Chief of Defence Staff Act is amended to enable retired Navy Chief Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda be appointed to the post.

Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka retired from the post and active military service today (16).

According to the Chief of Defence Staff Act, only a forces chief in active military service could be appointed to the post. If a retired officer like Wasantha Karannagoda is to be appointed to the post, the Act has to be amended.

However, it is learnt that many old Anandians have requested Karannagoda to take over the post that has now fallen vacant by General Fonseka’s retirement.

General Fonseka and Admiral Karannagoda are two distinguished old boys of Ananda College, Colombo.

The President has decided to accept General Sarath Fonseka’s resignation letter if it is handed over to him and to appoint former Navy Chief Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda as the new Chief of Defence Staff after amending the Chief of Defence Staff Act, sources from Temple Trees said.

According to the Chief of Defence Staff Act, only a serving forces chief could be appointed to the post. Therefore, the President has asked the Attorney General to prepare the necessary amendments to be included in the Act to enable a retired forces chief to be appointed to the post.

The President had called a special meeting on Tuesday evening at Temple Trees to discuss the possibility of

appointing Karannagoda as the Chief of Defence Staff. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and several other officials including Organizer of the SLFP Bhikku Front member Ven. Uvathenna Sumana Thero had attended the meeting.

Ven. Sumana Thero had been called for the meeting since Admiral Karannagoda is a patron of the monk. The President had requested the monk to get Karannagoda to agree to the appointment as Chief of Defence Staff and to resolve the conflict between Gotabhaya and Karannagoda.

The President asked Admiral Karannagoda to resign from the post of Navy Chief on July 13 after giving him four hours notice in order to appoint Presidential relative Tisara Samarasinghe as the new Navy Chief. Admiral Karannagoda was then appointed as the Highways Ministry Secretary which is being managed by the First Lady and her nephew Dilshan Wickremasinghe