Service commanders expressed concern about CFA - Former Defence Secretary

Former Defence Secretary Austin Fernando said Wednesday that he got to know about the CFA from the service commanders who had expressed concern about some of its conditions.However the powers that be brushed aside these concerns. Testifying Wednesday before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission headed by former Attorney General C.R.De Silva he however said that the UNP Government was compelled to enter into a CFA with the LTTE due to the perilous economic situation of the country at the time. Asked as Defence Secretary if he had been satisfied with the CFA Fernando said that he too had been perturbed by certain of the provisions in it. He also said he would not say whether the CFA was fully favourable to the LTTE for if that was so the Government would not have participated in peace talks.The former Defence Secretary said CFA was to a certain extent favourable to the LTTE due to certain clauses in it. While saying that he had not been involved in the drafting of the CFA the former Defence Secretary said the LTTE would have not come for talks had the CFA favoured the Government.   Read more:www.dailynews.lk/2010/08/20/news02.asp