EDITORIAL
"Sarath Fonseka was a victim of the LTTE and had all the reasons to pursue the Tigers to their detriment. He was also put in a difficult situation when Defence Secretary outsmarted him several times and undermined his authority to give field commands."
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(November 07, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lanka is in a crucial juncture. General election for the legislature is due before April 2010. The President Mahendra Percy Rajapakse is also planning to call the Presidential election before the due date to capitalize on the upbeat mood in the South to get a higher percentage of votes to exert his absolute authority in future.
Though the election dates are not announced, political pundits and parties are pitching the fever for upbeat elections.
It was predicted, President Rajapakse is in the mood of victory as there was no contender to outsmart him in a Presidential election. When General Sarath Fonseka was embroiled in the request for a US immigration control meeting, the President saw this an opportunity to outsmart him. He used the Foreign Minister to make the inquiry a complex one by disproportionately treating as a threat - a prelude to prepare for a war crime inquiry by the States. Whilst Foreign Minister was over reacting and dramatizing the US effort, the President in a buoyant mood flew to the war torn Vanni to drum up support of the military men for the Presidential election.
Reliable sources say that solicitors acting for Sarath Fonseka had advised him about the triviality of the US inquiry as it did not involve the FBI and he can take the liberty to leave the country if he wishes. On this advice Fonseka had left the USA without being even questioned by the Immigration Officials at the airport.
It is now clear Sarath Fonseka has decided to give up his uniform and challenge Mahinda Rajapakse in the Presidential election. Chances of him becoming the common candidate for the opposition is said to be firm now.
According to sources close to Sarath Fonseka, he is claiming that he has taken the orders of the President in conducting the war and had made very serious comments of political nature due to pressure from his superior Mahinda Rajapakse. He had come to a crashing point and started to challenge the President that resulted in him being removed as the army General and the post given to a much junior mouthpiece in the army hierarchy.
Sarath Fonseka was a victim of the LTTE and had all the reasons to pursue the Tigers to their detriment. He was also put in a difficult situation when Defence Secretary outsmarted him several times and undermined his authority to give field commands.
These are said to be basic generalised savour grapes that pushed the General to the wall.
Now that it is becoming clear that Sarath Fonseka will be the common candidate for the opposition, will he reach the cross section of the Sri Lankan divide and portray himself as a national leader. Will he say what the President will not say publicly that the way forward for Sri Lanka is greater devolution of powers to the people, abolition of the Presidential system of governance, accountability and good governance to thwart the corrupt practices followed for decades.
He is the man to reach the common man of Sri Lanka. If he misses this in his mission to clearly articulate himself as a prospective national leader, his efforts become the President will be another tragedy Sri Lanka will encounter. He must reach the Sinhala people and clearly articulate the need to deal with the minority issues in a sensible political way. He must also reach the Tamil and Muslim population and tell them what he proposes to do to arrest the long standing crisis facing them.
Any effort to dilute his mission with half baked mission statements will only damage the Generals credibility and he could only cause a bit of dent to the share of vote Mahinda would garner.
General Fonseka’s entry into the Presidential candidacy must be real belly aching for the President and his clowns.
Who knows the President will decide to give up the idea of holding a Presidential election with this calamitous situation for him. -Sri Lanka Guardian
Pros and Cons of Sarath Fonseka becoming a Common Candidate
