No threat SL state sovereignty, no need for emergency, says Fonseka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 09:54 GMT]
“There is no threat to the sovereignty of the country any longer. As such the government should completely lift the State of Emergency Regulation,” former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and a parliamentarian from Colombo district representing Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Tuesday, said participating in a debate on the extension motion moved by the government.

Sarath Fonseka is the parliamentary group leader of DNA that is led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).

The government can rule the country under normal laws and should give relief to people who have been undergoing tremendous hardships under such draconian laws in the name of State of Emergency. Only a leader who feels that he is insecure would need extra laws to administer the country, General (retd) Fonseka who faces two court martial – one to have involved in politics while in service as the Chief of Defence Staff and another involving in alleged irregularity in the purchase of armament while serving as the Commander of SLA, said.

Sarath Fonseka added ER is being abused to take revenge on politicians opposed to those in power and media.

He was one of the victims of such action by the government, he said.

During the war, the former commander had gone on record in an interview to Canada's National Post stating that he "strongly believed that Sri Lanka belongs to Sinhalese."

The former Sri Lanka Army chief had also labelled Tamil Nadu leaders who were seeking a ceasefire in the island as 'political jokers' and had accused them of being 'corrupt'.