Regional Development Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka participating in the Committee Stage debate on Votes of the Defence Ministry said that although Sri Lanka Army has completed 67 years it does not have a national strategic defence plan as yet.
“After 2010, the defence budget was doubled and it amounts to Rs. 160 billion. Although eight years has lapsed since the war ended, there is a question as to whether the standard of the Army has improved,” the Minister queried.
He accused the former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa of politicising the Army during the latter’s tenure in office and said that the Army had been split into two factions owing to the political influence he exerted on the Army.
He said that people such as former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya had committed offences while they served in the Army. Former President Rajapaksa didn’t respect the Army. He imprisoned me while another 35 officers were chased away.