LTTE win credit goes to political leadership: New Lanka Army chief

With the issue of triumph over Tamil Tigers likely to dominate the upcoming Presidential elections in Sri Lanka,there appears to be a race between the incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Chief of Defence Staff Sarath Fonseka to steal the credit for the rout of LTTE.

As the public and political parties await the next move of Fonseka,seen as the likely opposition rival to Rajapaksa,new Sri Lankan Army chief Lt Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya sought to give the credit for the victory against LTTE to the political leadership. Jayasuriya said,it was the same Army that waged war against the LTTE for thirty years,but it was political leadership that led security forces to achieve victory. The army chief said this while addressing over 2000 soldiers including senior officers and other ranks serving under the Security Forces Headquarters-south in Panagoda in the Western Province on Monday.

In a dig at his predecessor,Jayasuriya charged that engaging in active politics whilst in uniform is not allowed to Security Forces members and they should be loyal to the existing governance. He said prompt actions were taken to solve problems of some of fallen Heroes with regard to their pay and allowances when he met their next of kin recently.

Jayasuriya said the new salary increase announced by President Rajapaksa to members of the security forces will be paid along with their November salary. He said Rajapaksa,impressed with soldiers commitment,has decided to grant the salary increase.