No takers for ceremonial CDS post: Should it be scrapped?

One of the coveted positions in Sri Lanka’s defence establishment – the post of Chief of Defence Staff ( CDS) – falls vacant on September 3.

The present incumbent, Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne, who is on an extended tenure, is expected to retire on this day. Who will succeed him has become the talking point in the defence establishment.

The position is usually held by the senior most armed forces commander who retires from office. However, Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake, who is next in line has been given a year’s extension as Army Commander. That will help him continue in service till late next year.

The other in line is Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathy, whose term has also been extended as Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force until midnext year.

Defence Ministry officials say both these senior most officers have said they would wish to continue in their present positions instead of moving a slot higher. The reasons are understandable – there is limited command and control under a CDS and the position has turned more ceremonial.

This is particularly after the military defeat of the Tiger guerrillas in May 2009. The position of CDS was then created to co- ordinate counter terrorism operations by the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police. With the war ended, Defence Ministry officials say that the office has become virtually obsolete.

Even during situations where there are natural disasters, different services have been carrying out their own relief operations with little or no recourse to the CDS. Hence, some are of the view that the post should be scrapped and money spent diverted to training and equipping troops.