"Gotabaya Rajapaksa, now the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Candidate for the Presidency, played no role in the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on the battlefield."
Former Army Commander and current United National Front Member of Parliament Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka says that during the final years of the separatist war he took all the strategic and battlefield decisions himself and did not take directions from anyone.
He told reporters Oct 18, that former Secretary to the Ministry of Defense Gotabaya Rajapaksa, now the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Candidate for the Presidency, played no role in the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on the battlefield.
“I did not take instructions from anyone,” he asserted.
“He visited the battlefield only twice, once when we captured the East and the other time was when he visited Vavuniya,” he said.
He also said that the Democratic National Front candidate Sajith Premadasa has “made an unsigned promise in front of the people that he would give the responsibility of maintaining national security in a future government to me.”
He was referring to the statement made by Premadasa at his inaugural rally before a large crowd at Galle Face on October 10.
“This is according to his decision and not because of a request I made,” he said.
Fonseka revealed that before the day of the rally Premadasa had an hour-long discussion with him on matters of national security. He said Premadasa had sought his assistance “as he was not satisfied with the current conditions.”
Fonseka said that then his focus should be on the responsibility given to him by Premadasa which is to ensure national security.
He said that the country should look at the proposals submitted to the presidential candidates by the Tamil National Alliance “in a way that will not divide the country. Each party has the concept to protect the unity, national coexistence and peace in the country.”
He also said that removing and building temples, churches and army bases should be done in a legal manner and there is no need to politicize these issues.
“To build a temple or a church there is a law and to remove them there is a law,” he said.
He also said if those problems are turned into political problems then they would have an adverse effect on the unity of the country.
(Republic Next)