29.11.2008
Convener
of Sri Lanka Freedom Party - Peoples' faction (SLFP-M)
and parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera came under fire
from the government in Parliament yesterday for his critical
comment made against Army Commander Sarath Fonseka at
a recent news conference.
UPFA
General Secretary and Education Minister Susil Premajayantha
made a special statement to the House, following a special
direction from President Mahinda Rajapaksa and expressed
the government’s regret about the statement against
the Army Chief.
“The
Army Commander, who successfully led the security forces
to a series of victories on the war front and under his
command the military recently captured Pooneryn,”
he told Parliament questioning “how a Sri Lankan
could criticize the Army Commander in such a context.”
Samaraweera has reportedly said that Lt. Gen. Fonseka
was not fit even to be the commander of the Salvation
Army.
Political
as well as defence analysts criticize the dissident MP
saying that his disparaging remarks on the armed forces
and their operations have become a boon to the pro LTTE
Tamil media.
Courtesy - Lanka
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