General Sarath Fonseka on Monday bade farewell to the army and said he will announce his future plans in a couple of days,as speculation mounted that the architect of Sri Lanka's military victory over LTTE may be the opposition candidate in the next presidential polls. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed Air Force Chief Roshan Gunathilleke as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in place of Fonseka,who spent 39 years in the army. Gunathileke,53,has been given the new appointment in addition to his current post,Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga said. This follows the acceptance of resignation of Fonseka from the post with immediate effect,seen as a rebuff to the former army chief who wanted to be relieved of his duties from December 1. Fonseka had resigned last week,saying that he felt the government has lost trust in him. In a strongly-worded letter to Rajapaksa,he alleged that he was given the post of CDS,with "no authority",due to misleading reports of a likely coup in the island. He also accused the government of having no clear policy to "win the peace" with minority Tamils. A farewell ceremony was held for Fonseka this morning,in which he said he is committed to serve the nation. "I expect to announce my future steps in two or three days. I will be serving the country in the future," the 58-year-old was quoted as saying by media reports here. "In his final address today,Fonseka said politics must be kept out of the Army,noting the significance absence of the three armed forces at his farewell ceremony," the Daily Mirror online reported. Fonseka may also meet Rajapaksa soon,reports said. Local media had been speculating that the general will challenge Rajapaksa in the next presidential elections and that an opposition alliance led by former premier Ranil Wickremasinghe's United National Party has agreed on his name as their consensus candidate. Fonseka's likely entry in the fray would pose a serious challenge to the re-election of President Rajapaksa,who was hoping for a cakewalk after the rebel Tamil Tigers were wiped out by the army in May. It was being expected that the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party will advance the presidential and general elections and dates will be announced at its annual convention. However,in his address to the meet last evening,Rajapaksa refrained from announcing the dates,a move some political analysts say was prompted by the developments after Fonseka's resignation. Rajapaksa asked supporters about their choice on whether to hold parliamentary or presidential elections first. They said elections for the president's post,in which Rajapaksa can otherwise continue for two more years,be held first. "Do you want me to cut short two years? I will tell the party and let you know at the right time," The President said. In a veiled reference to the former army chief,Rajapaksa told the meeting,"Yesterday's patriot may become tomorrow's traitor". Attempts to divide the country would have pleased the now dead Tamil Tiger leader V Prabhakaran,he said. In a terse letter to Fonseka yesterday,Weeratunga told him that he will leave the army with immediate effect.
