Colombo - Sri Lanka's military chief, General Sarath Fonseka, who helped secure the government's victory over Tamil rebels, resigned from his post Thursday amidst reports he was considering running in the upcoming presidential elections. Officials said Fonseka's resignation as head of the armed forces was accepted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who also doubles as defence minister.
Over the past months speculation was rife over a possible rift between Fonseka and the president, most likely over the former's political ambitions.
Fonseka, who has been in command of Sri Lanka's army since 2005, was in charge of the final three-year phase in the island's 26-year civil war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The government declared victory over the rebels in May, after LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed in the fighting.
Sri Lanka has been facing international accusations of human rights abuses perpetrated by both sides during the final offensive, including the army's indiscriminate shelling of civilians. Tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were displaced and many of them are still being held in government camps.
In June, Fonseka was prematurely removed from his post as army chief and promoted to the rank of chief of defence staff, a post widely seen as ceremonial with virtually no control over the armed forces.
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the president's younger brother, is considered have more clout than the armed forces chief.
An opposition alliance led by former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has already selected Fonseka as a joint candidate to challenge Rajapaksa, but Fonseka has so far declined to comment on his potential candidacy.
Rajapaksa is expected to call early presidential elections in January followed by snap parliamentary polls.
