A large scale malicious attack on Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Sarath Fonseka has been planned states `Lanka Irida,` the Sinhalese weekend newspaper.

The attack has been planned on suspicion that Gen. Fonseka would contest the impending presidential election as the common candidate. Several Army officers who had been engaged in various irregularities and had been punished during Gen. Fonseka`s tenure in the Army and another Army officer expecting to be the Commander of the SL Army would be used in the malicious attack on the General that has been planned by the government states `Lanka Irida.` According to the plan various allegations would be fabricated against Gen. Fonseka and publish them. State media has also been informed not to publish any news or any of his speeches that would be advantageous to him.

The Director of Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) Lashman Hulugalle has personally informed media institutions not to publish the speech made by Gen. Fonseka at the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the Army.

It has been revealed that defamatory remarks expressed against Gen. Fonseka by Media Minister Lashman Yapa Abeyawardene and Labour Minister Mervin Silva was a part of this plan to attack the General. On the 14th Ministers Susil Premajayanthe, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Dilan Perera criticized Gen. Fonseka on instructions from above. The three ministers attempted to emphasize that `whichever Sarath` came to contest the presidential election President Mahinda Rajapaske and the government would be strong enough to defeat any force.