Its high noon at the OK Corral

And after all the hype and speculation it seems that everything has come down to a straight forward showdown. Two men facing off in the glare of the public eye. The corpulent and corrupt sheriff against his lean but rather mean deputy.

By Savan Wijewardena

(December 29, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sarath Fonseka and Mahinda Rajapakse were once a dynamic duo. Like the cowboy/sidekick duos of old they fought the biggest outlaw in the land and won, bringing peace to our battered nation.

But now under the weight of our tropical sun and in the spotlight of an over excited media these two heroes face each other as bitter adversaries.

The Wild West allusions might be overblown but there is something decidedly spaghetti western about Sri Lankan politics at the moment; the exaggerated drama of this sudden and unexpected showdown.

A man who it was thought was content to play the role of a mere deputy now poses the main threat to the power of a president who just months ago seemed unassailable.

Fonseka’s sudden emergence into the limelight, a maverick challenger from the political wilderness has sent the regime into a state of near panic.

The last weeks have seen the frantic removal of the once ubiquitous cut outs featuring the dear leader with the great general by his side. Of course only one mustachioed visage adorns the posters erected as replacements…

And the appearance of hideous election hand bills disguised as currency, again decorated with the image of the President beaming over the great war victories, reveal that the government is now so rattled it is prepared to use the rupee as propaganda.

For one thing the Rajapakse’s don’t seem to be making the mistake of taking their dentally challenged, and rather comic book villain of an opponent lightly.

As the country is suddenly enveloped in a sea of blue, it is clear that the government is preparing itself to face a serious challenge.

But of course it is the Rajapkses themselves who are responible for allowing the former army commander to pose such a threat to their power.

By basing so much of their political platform on the war victory they were opened to a challenge from a man who arguably played a larger role in the victory than they did.
And of course it was they who succeeded in alienating their former protégé Fonseka in the first place.

Just months ago the President in his speeches regularly lauded Fonseka as the greatest army commander on earth…

However the split between the ruling family and the generalissimo appears to have occurred shortly after the final end of the war.

In his resignation letter Fonskea cites his ‘promotion’ to the position of Chief of Defence Staff, when he had wanted to remain head of the army to oversee its 60th anniversary celebrations, as his initial grievance against the President.

Why didn’t Rajapkse simply indulge Fonseka and placate him by conceding this simple request?

Perhaps the ruling cabal felt the egotistical and popular Fonseka already posed too much of a threat and hence decided to deposit him in the wilderness of early retirement as soon as possible.

But from the outset Fonseka would not be content with this ceremonial position. During his tenure as CDS he appeared to grow more and more disgruntled.

However the public only saw a clear rift between the Rajapkses and Fonseka when in October the government cack-handedly offered the lauded war hero the humiliating position of sports secretary.

Unsurprisingly the general turned down this latest job offer, bringing his dissatisfaction with the government into the open.

Weeks later Fonseka’s controversial visit to USA and the enigma of his supposed interview with the State Department brought matters to a head.

The tension between the ruling family and the General was clear and Fonseka’s outspoken speech at a Buddhist temple in Washington was a clear attempt to build a political platform.

The prospect of presidential candidate Fonseka had the effect of transforming the lackluster joint opposition, announced in November, from a club of losers to an alliance with the potential to unseat the government.

As speculation began to whirl regarding Fonseka’s association with the opposition successive UNP members JVPers performed the required political volte face.

A man criticized by the JVP and described by the UNP in the most unflattering terms suddenly became a suitable choice for president.

Following his speech at the UN and the almost open endorsement of candidate Fonseka by the UNP and JVP Fonseka’s resignation from the post of Chief of Defence Staff became inevitable.

But speculation raged over whether he would call a presidential or parliamentary election, and over whether the President would even accept the General’s resignation?

But tenacious Sheriff Rajapkse bit the bullet accepting Fonseka’s resignation and called, after a brief delay, for what promises to be one of the most significant presidential elections in this country’s history.

A straight-forward duel between two formidable adversaries. And like the best duel the outcome will rest on a knife edge.

Split-second timing, marginal differences in aim and accuracy were responsible for the final outcomes of the duels of yore and the margin between victory and defeat in this modern showdown maybe equally miniscule.

Such a close contest of course was wholly unexpected. A walkover for the ruling juggernaut had long been predicted. That a President with such an exceptional record of achievement having ended a 30 year war and initiated innumerable development projects now finds himself in such difficulty is extraordinary.

But again the President and his acolytes must take responsibility for the situation. It was their lust for power greed corruption and nepotism that have turned the people against the Rajapakses.

And it was the Rajapakses who through their propaganda machine established the cult of patriotism and the military that Fonseka is now able to use to his advantage.

Of course the UNP played its part in bringing the general into the political mainstream.
The failure of the grand old party to offer any sort if credible opposition to the government left it no choice but to rely on the maverick Fonseka to stand any chance of success in the election. The opportunism and desperation displayed by what was once the country’s dominant political party however is ultimately a damning indictment of the state of the country’s democracy.

The Opposition in terms of endorsing an opposing set of principles, proposals and values has ceased to function.

Instead a show down between two personalities, and not any matter of principle or policy will determine the future of this island.

Only the cunning, the reflexes, the ruthlessness and the luck of the duelers will determine who rules this country for the next 5 yearspolicy, issues and even genuine politics are no longer relevant.

And while there are clear positives in the present situation – the very existence of a viable challenge to its authority has forced the government to open roads, ease conditions for refugees in a bid to win popular support. It seems the democratic process has now all but disappeared replaced by a singly simple gladiatorial showdown – the presidential election.