New position for Sarath Fonseka proposed

President Maithripala Sirisena has proposed to appoint Minister of Regional Development Sarath Fonseka to a new position to work alongside armed forces and police. 

At the Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Rajitha Senaratne claimed that President Sirisena had asked Minister Fonseka to resign from his post as an MP and take over as either Army Commander or Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in order to bring some "discipline" back to the country.

Minister Senaratne alluded to the wave of strikes and protest demonstrations taking place in the country and claimed that many of them were being launched with a political agenda aimed at paralyzing day-to-day life and putting the Government in difficulty. He said Fonseka, in his new position, will be tasked with "managing" these protests. 

However, Minister Fonseka later clarified that what the President requested was for him to take up a position as head of a new organization proposed to be set up to maintain and manage essential services during an emergency situation. The armed forces and police, along with other organizations would be part of this new organization. Fonseka, a former Army Commander, insisted that he would not be giving orders to the armed forces as head of this new organiation. 

Fonseka said he had not taken a decision on taking up the new position and was yet to meet the President to discuss the matter. 

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