Chrishantha de Silva appointed as Sri Lanka Army chief

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed Major general Chrishantha de Silva as the new Sri Lankan Army chief.
De Silva is the 21st Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, since the island nation gained independence from Britain in 1948.
He will succeed Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake with effect from 22 February 2015.
De Silva had joined the Sri Lanka Army as cadet officer in 1980 and has served in many regions including operational areas.
Along with this appointment, Sri Lanka’s new government reinstated the rank of former army Chief General Sarath Fonseka, who was stripped of all ranks and was sentenced to jail by previous President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
General Sarath Fonseka was Sri Lanka’s only four-star general who had led the Army to defeat the Tamil Tigers in 2009. In 2010, he had fallen out with Rajapaksa and challenged him in the election of 2010. Thereafter Fonseka was arrested, court martialled and jailed for corruption.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2015