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| Thursday, 3 June 2004 |
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Army Commander to retire by Ranil Wijayapala The Defence Ministry in a letter dated June 01, 2004 has informed Lt. Gen. Lionel Balagalle, of his retirement from the posts of Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander with effect from June 30, a senior Defence Ministry official told the Daily News yesterday. Lt. Gen. Balagalle, assumed duties as the 16th Army Commander of the Sri Lanka Army in August 2000, and served in the post for four years. He will be 59 on June 15. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in her capacity as the Minister of Defence and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces is now in the process of considering the candidates to be appointed to the post of Chief of Defence Staff and for the Army Commander. According to sources, the President is likely to appoint Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri as the Chief of Defence Staff with the retirement of Lt. General Lionel Balagalle on June 30. "The President may decide to appoint Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri for the post of Chief of Defence Staff on the basis of the latter being the longest serving services commander after Lt. Gen. Balagalle", the senior Defence Ministry official said. Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri, who was appointed as the Navy Commander on January 01, 2001 is the longest serving Armed Forces Commander after Lt. General Balagalle at present. Having enlisted in the Sri Lanka Navy in 1966, Sandagiri has completed 38 years' service in the Navy. "However there is also a possibility of keeping the Chief of Defence of Staff post vacant", the official added. |
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