by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Throw a stone into placid waters and you get a big splash followed by numerous ripples. The ripple effect caused by the Fonseka factor continues to excite the contemporary Sri Lankan political scene.
The Presidential stakes earlier was a predictable one-horse race. With the anticipated entry of an old warhorse, an element of uncertainty has been introduced.
This sudden turn of events in the political scenario is certainly due to one man-Lt.Gen Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka!
Sri Lanka’s outgoing Chief of Defense Staff General Sarath Fonseka smiles as he leaves his office during his farewell in Colombo on November 16, 2009-Getty images pic.
They say that old soldiers don’t die but simply fade away. But the refusal of one stubborn soldier to simply fade away and go out gently into that night has stirred the political cauldron.
In a swift counter-strike the former army commander and ex-chief of defence staff has enlivened and illuminated the drab,dreary, dull political environment. The Fonseka factor is the driving force now in current Sri Lankan politics.
But what you see is not what you may get! Ultimately!!
Movements are fluid in the fickle game of politics and present postures and positions may change drastically as elections are officially announced and combat begins in earnest.
Fluctuating changes may occur dramatically within current political configurations as the great game of elections begin.
At the time of writing this article on Thursday November 19th evening Mahinda Rajapaksa has completed four years of office as executive president.
He can therefore call for an early presidential election anytime before his term of office is scheduled to end in 2011.
The present Parliament was elected in April 2004. Therefore a new election must be held before April next year.
With the presidential term due to expire in 2011 and Parliament required to dissolve in 2010 simple logic deems that chances of elections to Parliament being held before Presidential polls are greater.
Nevertheless there is much speculation in the country as to whether The Parliamentary or presidential elections would be held first.
The underlying reason behind this speculation is that President Rajapakse would find it politically advantageous to go for an election before the end of his term although he would lose at least a year in office due to that.
Compensating for that loss would be anticipated political success of immense proportions.
Rajapaksa would get a massive victory in presidential elections due to the euphoric popularity gained by his impressive war victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE).
This in turn would help him further politically as more defections to the treasury benches from opposition ranks could occur. More importantly a Parliamentary poll in the wake of a Presidential victory would help the ruling party improve its standing substantially in Parliament.
On the other hand if Parliamentary elections were held first the government was expected to win but not overwhelmingly.
The United National Front comprising the United National Party (UNP),Sri Lanka Muslim Congress(SLMC)Democratic Workers Congress(DWC)Sri Lanka Freedom Party(Mhajana) and eight other smaller parties would perform satisfactorily.
There were also other parties like the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Tamil National Alliance(TNA) etc who could cut into votes since they had vote banks of their own.
Against that backdrop the opposition could win a fair share of the seats. It must be remembered that the current strength of the UNP and SLMC in Parliament is diminished due to large-scale defections to Govt ranks.
On another level the present parliamentary tally of parties like the JVP and its off-shoot the National Freedom Front(NFF) also don’t reflect their actual political strength in the country. The Jathika Hela Urumaya(JHU) and TNA parliamentary strength too may be reduced in fresh elections.
Under these circumstances the United Peoples Freedom Alliance(UPFA) was not expected to do very well if Parliamentary polls were held first. The UPFA would do creditably but chances of a two-thirds majority were remote. Some opine that even a simple majority may not have been gained.
Another problem was that candidates who strain every sinew to win seats in Parliament would not be as enthusiastic in working for Presidential victory after securing personal success.
There was also the possibility of disgruntled MP’s working with the enemy or crossing over prior to presidential polls after having made deals.
In such a situation Rajapaksa stood to gain more by having the presidential poll first.
He could galvanize the party into actively campaigning for him by offering to make them parliamentary candidates on the basis of their performance in helping to garner more votes for him at presidential polls.
Besides these calculations there was also the pathetic state of the opposition in disarray. There was no effective opposition candidate for the presidency. The UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe should be the best and only choice under normal circumstances.
But Wickremasinghe despite exemplary personal credentials has been unfortunately undermined as a weakling,loser and traitor through sustained false propaganda. Moreover significant sections of his party are disloyal to him and would definitely sabotage him in elections.
Though many other names like Karu Jayasuriya, SB Dissanayake, Sajith Premadasa etc have been bandied about as potential alternative candidates Ranil himself has not encouraged moves in this direction so far.
There is also the fact that none of these proposed alternatives have overwhelming support in the party. Also most UNP allies would not be happy with these people and would opt to work with Wickremasinghe rather than his would be successors.
As such the situation was one where Ranil Wickremasinghe would be Hobson’s choice due to the “TINA (There Is No Alternative)Factor” in politics. This suited Rajapaksa eminently as he was confident of battering Ranil in the political arena.
It was politically prudent therefore for President Rajapakse to cash in on his personal popularity and popularity accrued through war victory euphoria and derive maximum political gain by conducting and winning presidential elections with a vote landslide.
This being the grim reality there was little doubt that presidential elections would be held first and Mahinda Rajapaksa would win. The discussion was all about the election date and the extent of the winning margin.
That predictable atmosphere has dramatically transformed due to the Fonseka factor.
In a controversial turn of events the former Army commander on November 12th submitted his resignation from the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) post held by him. It was promptly accepted by President Rajapakse and came into effect from November 16th 2009.
Gen. Fonseka outlined certain grievances and reasons that led to his decision in his resignation letter with a three page confidential annexure comprising seventeen points.
The letter, annexure and their contents were leaked out to the media and provided much fuel for controversy.
It is widely believed that Sarath Fonseka would plunge into politics and would contest against President Mahinda Rajapakse if and when the presidential elections are held.
The erstwhile army commander’s foray into presidential hustings is expected to get the backing of a number of opposition parties ranging from the United National Party(UNP) to Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP).
In May this year when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) met its waterloo by the waters of Nandhikkadal lagoon, the lion’s share of credit for the victory against the tigers was apportioned to a triad at the helm.
The triumvirate comprising President Mahinda Rajapakse, Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse and Army chief Sarath Fonseka was hailed for providing political, administrative and military leadership respectively in the triumphant war against the tigers.
Barely six months later this triumphant triumvirate lies fractured with Lt. Gen Sarath Fonseka getting ready to cross swords with the other two in what is likely to be a bitter, divisive political battle to be fought fiercely.
It is as if Bernard Montgomery was contesting against Winston Churchill after World war two or Sam Manekshaw competing with Indira Gandhi after the Bangladesh war!
The current crisis is a result of brewing discontent between the Rajapakses and Fonseka over a long period of time. While these tensions were managed and contained during the war they have exploded openly after the war victory.
In a sense the strife is all about who deserves the greater credit and reward for fighting and winning the war. A fight for the spoils of victory!
Essentially this is a personality clash devoid of differences in principle or policy.Extreme paranoia, seething passions, jealousy, vengeful thinking and wounded pride have exacerbated the situation.
There is lamentable absence of firm policy and a complete abandonment of principle. A no holds barred political expediency seems to be the order of the day.
Attempts by one side to put down perceived political challenges and efforts by the other side to counter them are creating a situation where diametrically opposite forces are reconfiguring themselves as political bedfellows.
Several opposition parties have seized the opportunity and seek to exploit it cynically. Fonseka thinks he has the potential to win the presidency but lacks necessary political machinery and expertise for the task.
The opposition parties have the required political structures and wherewithal but do not have a “winnable” candidate capable of gaining success.
So there seems to be an unprincipled, opportunistic convergence of interests. An unholy alliance is seemingly in the making.
The opposition seems to have acquired a “champion” to fight Mahinda Rajapaksa .There is a naive belief that they, a bunch of civilian politicians can manipulate a war veteran of Sarath Fonseka’s calibre for their own ends.
It is like fighting fire with fire or cutting a diamond with a diamond.
The Rajapaksa regime has scored heavily against the opposition because of war victory euphoria. Mahinda Rajapaksa sought to utilise such “victory credit” in the Presidential hustings and acquire a virtual monopoly of the votes.
Now the opposition has hopes of backing another war hero against Rajapaksa. This hero is an actual general with direct military experience unlike Rajapaksa who only portrayed a “General” on screen in Gamini Fonseka’s “Nomiyenna minissu” (the immortals).
The ultra-nationalist, patriotic fervour whipped up by the Rajapaksa regime before, during and after the war has enveloped the majority community to a very great extent. Extolling Mahinda as “Maharajano” was one manifestation of this mood.
Now the opposition has a potential candidate who at face value seems capable of cutting into the Rajapaksa vote bank and perhaps edge him out in a neck to neck race.Both Rajapaksa and Fonseka are from the Southern province and appeal to the same constituency.
Thus the Fonseka phenomenon seems to have removed from Rajapaksa the rationale behind the intention to conduct Presidential elections before that of Parliament.
At least the opposition seems to think so and Ranil Wickremasinghe’s open challenge to the president daring him to hold the presidential poll first is an indicator of buoyant optimism in opposition folds.
Logically it seems absurd for Rajapaksa to go in for presidential elections and run the risk of being defeated or sqeaking through with a razor thin majority. Not only would he lose at least a year but also be rendered ineffective in ensuring a massive parliamentary victory.
Also by not conducting presidential elections his potential rival Sarath Fonseka would be placed in limbo.It seems highly unlikely that Fonseka setting his sights on the presidency would contest Parliamentary polls if they are held first. There is the question of which party symbol he would contest under.
At the same time the tenuous “unity” among opposition parties in supporting Sarath Fonseka as common presidential candidate could break if Parliament elections are held first. If parliamentary polls are held first the UNP-JVP “alignment” will be the first to dissolve.
Simple logic and common sense suggest therefore that Rajapaksa should stage the parliamentary elections first but then Mahinda the Machiavelli of Medamulana may have entirely different ideas.
Political calculations are not necessarily governed by rational thought at all times and there are many occasions where other seemingly “irrational” reasons also come into play.
In this instance there is also the “machismo” element. In a situation where Mahinda and Sarath hope to win enhanced support by projecting themselves as valiant war heroes both need to portray a “warrior” image to the masses.
Fonseka being an authentic soldier is at an advantage over Rajapaksa in this but the President must demonstrate his martial credentials to surmount the challenge. Therefore Mahinda cannot be seen as backing down in the face of a political challenge being thrown at him by Fonseka.
Although Fonseka is yet to officially announce his presidential ambition and is most probably waiting until elections are declared to throw his hat into the ring the ex-army commander has already flung the gauntlet down at his erstwhile commander-in-chief privately.
Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka had a one to one conversation on November 11th at “Temple Trees” after the National security council meeting. Fonseka in that encounter informed Rajapaksa candidly that he intended retiring from the army and contesting the presidency.
According to media reports the President had received this “news” with equanimity and said he was prepared to accept Fonseka’s resignation whenever he submitted it. In customary fashion Mahinda reportedly told Sarath smilingly that he (Fonseka) would lose the presidential elections and was most welcome to return to him after being defeated.
In that context Rajapaksa would lose face if he avoids a frontal challenge by having the presidential election after parliamentary polls. He has to take the bull by its horns instead of seeking refuge behind a parliamentary election. It is a metter of honour!
There is a strong “machismo” element in this with a mixture of emotions like pride, shame, courage and cowardice.Sometimes such emotional thinking leads to defeat.
History tells us that the old king Elara accepted a challenge for single combat by the younger Dutu Gemunu and lost though Elara’s army was superior on the battlefield and had the advantage.
It is said that Theodore Roosevelt contested the American presidency as a third “independent” candidate with his “BullMoose” party against Taft and Wilson because someone had posed the public query “Is the hero of San Juan Hill a coward”?. Earlier Teddy Roosevelt had been wavering about deciding.
Likewise Mahinda too has to accept and confront this challenge. Since he is not a professional soldier the onus is on him to demonstrate that he too is a warrior and not a coward who would avoid or postpone a direct fight. In the jargon of a street-fighter Mahinda must prove that he is “Ona ekata ottu” (ready for anything).
Furthermore accepting and facing a challenge heads on is a character trait too.There are several who underestimated Mahinda and have referred to him derisively as a coward in politics. Even now we read interviews given by his political opponents describing him as a coward.
The irony is that the people who call him coward are still in the opposition tasting defeat after defeat while the so-called “coward” parades as conqueror.
The litmus test of Rajapaksa’s political courage was in the manner in which he withstood immense international pressure to declare a ceasefire at a time when the armed forces were poised to defeat and destroy the Tigers.
Given the qualitative and quantitative nature of that pressure a lesser man may have wilted. But Mahinda stood steadfast defying the global powers that be in a critical phase of history.
Like Prometheus there is a price to pay for defying the Gods. This is the downside of that defiance that could adversely affect the country but the point here is that Rajapaksa did not back down even when pressured by global powers.
To some extent Mahinda’s mindset may be shaped by his particular environment. The propensity for violence in the Weeraketiya and Walasmulla areas illustrate the combative sub- culture of the place. It is this perhaps which prompted the laird of Girawapattu to warn Velupillai Prabhakaran earlier that he was “Mahinda from Medamulana” and not to “push him against the wall”.
Now “Medamulana Mahinda” is being driven against a different wall by his political detractors. Current reality is that these parties either singly or jointly cannot match “war victor” Rajapaksa but with “war hero” Fonseka hope to pose an effective political challenge to Mahinda.
The need to face a direct presidential challenge first could be a shrewd political move too. Having a parliamentary election first is logically sound and could divide the opposition and drive Fonseka up a gum tree but there could be negative connotations too.
Politics is very often a question of perception. Image versus reality!
For instance Ranil Wickremasinghe is certainly no traitor and a loser but constant propaganda has succeeded in instilling such a negative image of him in the minds of many.
Likewise Mahinda avoiding a presidential election could create a negative image of him being seen as a coward and weakling. The opposition would go to town saying Rajapaksa could not face Fonseka in a direct presidential tussle and that was why he had parliamentary polls first.
The reality that the Parliament elections cannot be delayed beyond April 2010 while presidential polls need not be held till Nov 2011 will be lost on many . Perception can be damning. Wrong signals could be conveyed to the electorate.
So voters perceiving wrongly that Rajapaksa cannot face Fonseka may vote for opposition parties in a Parliamentary poll too.
Whereas if Rajapaksa advances the date of presidential elections, confronts the Fonseka challenge directly and overcomes it successfully that victory could translate into an avalanche of votes at Parliamentary hustings too.
This perhaps explains the alacrity with which the president accepted his chief of defence staff’s resignation and relieved him of his duties without too much delay. It was as if Mahinda was telling Sarath “get ready for the fight as soon as possible”.
There was a powerful school of thought which advocated a proposal that President Rajapaksa should “delay” his acceptance of Fonseka’s resignation. According to letter of the law his resignation would be deemed valid only if the president formally accepted it.
At the same time a serving army officer could not contest elections or engage in politics while wearing the uniform. But Fonseka would be considered to be in service as long as his resignation was not accepted.
So all that President Rajapaksa had to do was to delay formal acceptance of Fonseka’s resignation and keep him in a “trisangu” state (Between two worlds) Meanwhile nominations could be called for presidential elections and Fonseka would be forbidden by law to contest.
It would be a catch-22 situation then.
If Fonseka obeyed the law and refrained from contesting the opposition would be deprived of a candidate who could pose a real challenge to Rajapaksa.
If Fonsela defied regulations and tried to contest he was liable to be penalised and prevented from contesting legally. Even if Fonseka mounted a legal challenge against what was clearly a violation of the “democratic spirit” the courts would most probably abide by the law despite the unfair result.
Those who wanted Rajapaksa to adopt this course of action felt it was a winning strategy all the way.
But they failed to take into account both the combative personality of Mahinda in taking up challenges as well as his political acumen in realising that any sign of perceived weakness or cowardice would be detrimental in the long run.
This perhaps explains the cool demeanour with which he has been treating the Fonseka phenomenon.
Instead of stonewalling as he could have done President Rajapaksa accepted the resignation instantly and has cleared the decks for swift transition by Fonseka from soldier to politician.
By displaying an air of nonchalance in facing up to the Fonseka challenge, Rajapaksa is showing the electorate that he is “Kaatawath mang Baya nehe” (I am not afraid of anyone)in a political sense.
Media organs supportive of the opposition and Sarath Fonseka dish out news items saying how afraid and panicky Rajapaksa is. But contrary to such propaganda, events on ground indicate that Mahinda Rajapaksa is gearing up to hold Presidential elections and fight against Sarath Fonseka.
Ideally this is a contest that should not have happened. A scenario where an ex-army commander contests the presidency against the incumbent president could trigger off a set of unexpected developments and unintended consequences.
Chief among these is the distinct probability of politics pervading the armed forces and causing irredeemable harm for the Country.
It is in the interests of not only President Rajapaksa but the nation at large for saner counsel prevailing even at the eleventh hour and resolving differences with Sarath Fonseka.
Perhaps the wounded pride of the Ambalangoda lion could be healed by transforming the retired Lt. General into Sri Lanka’s first Field Marshall.
Perhaps the opposition parties would realise their irresponsible folly and desist from pushing/pulling Fonseka into hurly-burly politics.
But if this highly desirable situation does not materialise then a titanic clash between commander in chief and ex-commander would be inevitable.
In such a scenario Mahinda Rajapaksa would have no choice other than to face the challenge posed by Sarath Fonseka at the presidential hustings as early as possible.
While having presidential elections is now a matter of honour the Medamulana Machiavelli has other related options too.
One is to have both the Presidential and Parliamentary elections simultaneously and confound the opposition.
Another is to dissolve Parliament and announce elections even as the presidential poll campaign is on.
We are in for interesting times.
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj2005@yahoo.com
Well – written analytical article. All systems go for a presidential election first but as you said one can never predict what Mahinda the Medamulana Machiavelli will do
Sarath Fonseka is a brilliant general but he will meet his waterloo at the hands of Mahinda. Chief drawback for Sarath is that his NEW army comprises of discredited, unpopular politicians and not professionally trained soldiers
Sarath will be trounced by Mahinda at president poll. Mr is not worried at all about Fonseka and treats him lightly as rival. Mahinda won the war with brother Gota. Now he will win election war with other brother Basil’s help
I think there is too much hype on SF.
The same was there when JHU contested. everyone said all the budhists would vote for the priests. what happened? Another example is the Siddhalepa mudalali who went around the country giving lectures on how he became a millionaire. People around him boosted his ego and said that he was good to run for presidency. I think the chap got less a couple of thousand. he is heard no more.
Then we had Sarath the Ex CJ, talks no end on the budhist channel. tried running the country from the bench and got involved in bus conductors uniforms and on one way traffic, He too was thought to be capable of running for presidency. today he is not even heard of.
The there was Lalith Kotalawela. called the walking Bo tree. he too was promoted as presidential material.
This country will sing hosanna to many at different times. In the end the country as in the recent past will have politicians running it.
Too much ego can be a foolish thing. For Sarath Fonseka he thinks that defeating the undefeatable Praba would make him invincible.
As DBSJ asked. when will Saraths ‘Luck’ run out. I am saying on January 23rd. or the day after the presidential election.
I would like to see his face ( SF’s ) when he takes defeat.
However not corrupted the present government is, we want to see MR and UPFA running the country for another term to see an end to the matter and to see all the development taking place. Further more, under MR’s leadership we restored the backbone of the nation. We walk our heads up straight knowing that we did what the rest of the world thought to be impossible. If it is not for anything else, I am grateful to MR for restoring our dignity.
Good artical. keep it up
Dear Sir,
If Fonseka is not contesting the Presidential elections (if and when they are announced) then the President Mahinda Rajapaksa would sweep the polls.
The Fonseka factor has introduced an element of anticipation in the Sri Lankan elections.
For the Tamils it is the Hobson’s choice. They have to choose between the devil and the deep sea.
Whichever party or the person comes to the power they will not solve the Tamil problem politically.
The SL politicians were only thinking in terms of military solution and they have attained it.
The Mahinda Rajapaksa was telling that he would give the LTTE the military soln as they only seek a military soln and then he would give the political soln for the Tamils.
In that context it would be interesting to see if he sticks to his words.
The other fall out of this would be interesting. It would be interesting to watch what the MR-Gotha-SF talk about each other in public.
Let us wait and see.
But I do not think the Tamils will be benefitted out of the victory of any one of these and again I do not believe there will be a political solution to the Tamil problem.
Thanks.
Mahesh
As long as MR allows the opposition talk about it they’ll self destruct. And as long as SF makes statements written by RW, Ravi, Kiri, Mangy, Hackeem, Ganeshan etc, he will commit a political suicide.
MR is the least politically challenged leader of SL. His opposition has always been blatant fools.
MR should play safe game against SF. As long as MR does not harm SF, public will never support SF, but if MR raises too much noise about SF then public may turn against him. Also Mr should plan for bagging the SF vote base one day. Like JHU, SF will break a UNP chunk and most likely bring it back to MR.
No way should SF become president of the nation for the next four years. First he should become the opposition leader and show his capabilities. Then only we can have enough trust in him to let him become the president. National leadership a completely different ball game and nobody gets promoted from kindergarten to university.
The Government was also looking into the newspaper reports that the SF had not been in the country during the final stages of the war. It was a trip to China. It was a routine trip, as it looked.
RW thinks he can be the legandary fox who jumped out the pit on the back of a goat. but SF is no goat. When SF realises he has been taken on a ride, he is not going to give up without a fight. SF has a lot of respect for MR, but none for RW. MR knew SF’s plan. This episode will end with sh*t on the faces of both RW and SF.
President Rajapaksa with his skills and experience cleared with one sweep the allegations against Sri Lanka by carefully and analytically making a submission about the intricacies of Human Rights and the complexities of Terrorism.
There are millions of children all over this nation who are left out and left back …. who will never become doctors or lawyers or teachers or police officers or much else …. who cannot even imagine a profession whose latent idealism will never be freed to grow into compassion and action ….. because there was no teacher, no friend, no one like you, who by action or example, quietly inspired them; showed them how to look up, not down; helped them to see their stake in their own and their neighbors dreams; touched a life in some private, but powerful way, and gave someone else a reason to hope. President Rajapaksa has saved the Nation and we should support him to develop the country by being patriotic.
Whatever system of governance is eventually adopted, it is important that it carries the people with it. We need to convey the message that safeguarding our common property, humankind, will require developing in each of us a new loyalty: a loyalty to mankind a loyalty to the country and a loyalty to the President-The Leader of the country.
Each of us has loyalties to several groups – from the smallest, the family, to the largest, at present, the nation. Many of these groups provide protection for their members. The entire country needs protection. We have to extend our loyalty to the whole of the human race.
We must appeal, as human beings, to human beings: Remember your humanity and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open for a new paradise; if you cannot, there lies before you the risk of destruction.
The quest for a war-free country has a basic purpose: survival. But if in the process we learn how to achieve it by love rather than by fear, by kindness rather than by compulsion; if in the process we learn to combine the essential with the enjoyable, the expedient with the benevolent, the practical with the beautiful, this will be an extra incentive to embark on this great task.
Indifference is not a beginning, it is an end. And, therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor — never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten. The political prisoner in his cell, the hungry children, the homeless refugees — not to respond to their plight, not to relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them from human memory. And in denying their humanity we betray our own.
Does it mean that we have learnt from the past? Does it mean that society has changed? Has the human being become less indifferent and more human? Have we really learnt from our experiences? Are we less insensitive to the plight of victims of ethnic cleansing and other forms of injustices in places near and far?
A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of Sri Lanka and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.
We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of Sri Lanka what destiny intended them to be. We are citizens of a great country on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of Sri Lanka with equal rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage communalism or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought or in action.
Dear DBS,
Could you kindly share Ranil Wickremasinghe’s role during the 1983 riots?
PS- Fonseka was promoted to “General” following Prabakaran’s death. He is not “Lt. Gen.”
DBSJ,
One thing is clear from your article: “There is a price to pay for defying the Gods”.
Dear DBS
Brilliant article. I suggest you to write an article about how the civil society should take the advantage of the political atmosphere to gain more civil liberties.
Even now the president and the opposition could implement through the present parliament laws to
1) Curtail excessive powers of the executive
2) give more authority to the legislation
3)implement 17 and 13 amendments
4) bring in more laws to restrict to number of cabinet ministers, curb corruption., improve transparency
5)form independent bodies to formulate national policies regarding education,economy,health,transport,and infra-structure.
If MR decides to hold the parliamentary elections first ,I feel by the current mood even UNP&JVP may form an alliance at least on temporary basis(may be a caretaker government) based on above listed requirements? what’s your opinion about such a possibility????
“But Wickremasinghe despite exemplary personal credentials has been unfortunately undermined as a weakling,loser and traitor through sustained false propaganda. Moreover significant sections of his party are disloyal to him and would definitely sabotage him in elections.”
This same Eickremasinghe was prime minister when CB was president and he was instrumental in barring the proposals to amend the constitution for the ethnic problems brought for discussion in the parliament. He was also prime minister when DBW was president and UNP had 2/3 majority in parliament. He did not do anything to solve the ethnic problems that time as well.
After all, the Tamils always seem to trust and support the UNP blindly even though it was the UNP that has betrayed the trust of the Tamils again and again. Only one time the Tamils (Tamil party/is) were betrayed by the SLFP (when SWRD was prime minister, but that too, because of fierce opposition by JR, Ranil’s uncle.
Ranil is not only weak but also not reliable. See the way he refuse to give up the leadership of the party for others, who might be able rectify his blunders.
Now we are told that the Government is awaiting the auspicious moment to declare the elections. Apparently soothsayers and sorcerers too have a role to play in the destiny of this Nation. The President appears to confirm this by maintaining a strict silence and indulging in certain unorthodox rituals such as the feeding of 64 pairs of twins and chanting of a particular Sutra on the event of his 64th birthday. Where all this mumbo jumbo will lead us is yet to be seen. One is reminded of the saying ‘Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad’.
DBSJ has covered most of the points with regard to the elections. I too am of the opinion that Presidential Election will be declared first perhaps to coincide with another auspicious date in keeping with Presidents lagna. So the General Election cannot be on the same day as it has to tally with lagna of the UPA government. Such is the hold soothsayers and priests have over the Leaders of Sri Lanka.
The General on the other hand cannot be underestimated, being the master tactician and strategist he is, as in war, so in peace. It is good that he has the courage to call a spade a spade and put paid to the veneration of the ‘King without any Clothes’, as the boy in the fairy tale. Much damage has been done to the Nation by the undemocratic and corrupt practices of the current regime. May God be with you and Protect you from harm for the betterment of our Nation and People.
Only thing that a candidature of SF do in a Presidential election is to make it a more even competition. He will decrease the victory margin of Mahinda. That is all. SF is a fool to throw his lot behind people like Ranil and Mangala.
I had some regard for Ranil until he ran away and hid himself in the West as the war was ending in May. He did not have the courage to be present in the Parliament when the war came to and end and he has absolutely no business running the country. His conduct at that point tells me all I need to know about him. This is the guy who once said that SF is not fit to lead even the Salvation Army. Compared to what SF has demonstrated in running the army and the war, what has this guy done in his life?
Very good analysis.
I agree with Sujeeva #5,
I too see MR running the country another term. Even Though he got blood on his hand we need him back to power again to see his full picture. Whatever way he closed the chapter of LTTE. That is very difficult task and he defend the country and his forces in the world stage openly. Still there are many unfinished tasks front of him. Still Tamils national problem not resolved. He has to find the political solution for the ethnic problem. He has to built the country which badly damaged by last 30 years of war. As victor of the war; I think he can prove that he can be a good “leader” as well. But he can’t risk him- self by touching some sensitive subjects before election. He needs time. That’s why we should let him jump the hurdle of election first. May be SF was good in uniform but can’t be a good leader as he is well known racist. If SF become president there is more chance to see more VP in future. That will be total disaster. I don’t underestimate Ranil but he himself has no guts to challenge MR directly; how can we expect he could challenge the problems ahead. All small parties gang up with Ranil to topple MR regime but they have no proper objective or policies. As alliance, even they elected they can’t do the job. That’s why thinking long lasting peace in SL, people should cast their vote to….Mr.Right
Hi DBS
There is three days meeting going on Zurich and all Tamil parties from SL taking part. Do you have detail news about this meeting such as who organised, who is backing ,what is the motive………etc. If you have any details and if you don’t mind could you please share with us?
Sorry, I’ve not paid much attention to this”sideshow” so far………………..DBSJ
Dear DBS
What has Mahinda done since winning the war: New 1000 Rs note glorifying him, Nine Dagobas around the country, Country plastered with expensive Govt funded hoardings of him and GOTABHAYA, Wasting money having provincial elections to bring his extended family and likes of Sajin Vaas, Anarkali.
Has there been a word about settling the ethnic issue??
its a good article and could read whole article eventhough its long.
I wasa person not interested in Army commander at all eventhough he did a great victory.But now I am really interested in him and wanted him to contest the presidential election to send this government home.
Its
A very good article and it is well balanced too.One thing a people in SL can not believe is the far SF went to grab the power.He is making pacts with YAKA(UNP and JVP) just he wants power.When Ranil was there he did not make SF the army commander. It was Gota who wanted him as the army commander and with the political vision of MR and with all the forces combined together with SL people the war was won.SF cannot get all the credit for that.At thye time of the war who ridiculed him and made all the stories against the forces are trying to make him(SF)their candidate as they are politically bankrupted. Can SF carry his own agenda and clean the UNP if he wins? The most ciorrupted from the government are came from UNP and are still memebers of that party and there are other elemebts waiting for a come back. If SF wins or loose he will be a looser as UNPers never will let him the things he wants to do.
“Ideally this is a contest that should not have happened. A scenario where an ex-army commander contests the presidency against the incumbent president could trigger off a set of unexpected developments and unintended consequences”
This is how the history takes turns and twists. When formidable enemy is gone, Tamil democratic rights are reduced for mere perks to Tamil politicians, the sprit, perhaps the Karma, that carried on the anti-Tamil politics, is returning to its origin. That is called “Dharma Chakaram”, where it began, there the circle ends. Same is true to India which has the “Asoka Chakaram” in it’s National flag.
Unfolding events are going to be with full of twists and turns.
Fonie is a lunatic, he is so hungry for power he will get rid of anybody just to satisfy his ego. Generals son in law Dhanuna Thilakeratne married to his daughter Apsara became a millionaire as soon as SF became the Army Commander and now after a few arms deals he is filthy rich. SF is a maniac who blows his own horn and takes credit for ending the 30 year old conflict. How can one man achieve such a victory without the help of the other forces and their leaders and not to mention the political leadership. The true heroes of the war don’t blow there own toot and betray the very people who made him who he is. He was a officer with a tarnished record who was about to retire from the Army when Gota gave him a chance and now he has bitten back the hand that fed him. He will not abolish executive presidency god forbid if he becomes the president. He
wants it all for himself, instead you will see more white vans getting rid of people he doesn’t like. I just wanted to add my two scents but I think you article is brilliant.
Dear All,
I thought of writing something because of the Freedom of Speech I have.
I think there should be three contestants instead of two. That’s MR, SF and RW. So RW can become the president. No one has given him a chance and I feel it is fair for him to try the luck. I think he will do ok as long as he doesn’t make the Executive Presidency into an eternal presidency where elections are not needed and once elected you could go on forever (something similar to the King of Saudi Arabia, Kim Jong il or Colonel Gadaffi).
Nothing can go wrong in Sri Lanka. Even if someone tried really hard to bring ill fate it won’t happen. Because I don’t think there is any efficient way to ruin the country than what is currently practiced (All credits go to all the politicians since 1948).
The way it is going, King Vijaya will descend once again from Bangladesh, to create another set of Aryans (or is it Nariyas) to continue the current trend on a larger scale (i.e. To brag about the blood we have and the ownership of the country). I can frankly say that whatever the DNA we are boasting about is not something we want to boast. Because our DNA has achieved nothing!! except death and destruction and the following (Ruwanwelisaya, Abhayagiriya et al and some other ruins, which of course I am proud of ……….but I don’t want to go to the extent of dancing naked and killing other people .. after talking history in Mahasinhalayewanshakathawa talk show(මහා සින්හලයේ වන්ශ කතාව – sorry for not having the යන්සේ ).
In Sri Lanka it’s not about having the cake and eating it. It’s about eating the cake and passing faeces on it so others can’t eat it; Thanks Mr JR for creating the story line.
Now that Velupillai and the Transnational Eelamist are gone we have to find new enemies to fight. Also we need new enemies to define new traitors, for us to hate… or otherwise our lives will be so empty. At this juncture I remembered a song by Sunil Edirisinghe – Dathis Dena where the king has killed all his enemies and has to surrender to himself as there were no other kings. We are a bit far from this stage as we have a few enemies like the Amnesty international, Journalist, America, England, India, the imperialists, Australians in Cricket and so goes the list….
I sincerely hope that we don’t have the Dutch instead of the Portuguese, or Chillies / මිරිස් instead of Ginger / ඉන්ගුරෑ or The known Devil instead of the unknown Devil or Sarath Fonseka instead of Mahinda Rajapakse….. because I don’t see the point!!!
This won’t make this country more appealing to anyone. The transnational Eelamist arent going to come here. I have to emphasize this when I type about the transnational Eelamist actually the guy who got the highest vote in the Eelam elections was Bjønar Moxnes who got 1864 votes. This straightaway proves the point that Norwegians were supporting the tigers or more so they are the tigers (This Bjønar Moxnes would have beaten Velupillai, KP and others in this game). The guy who came second was actually someone from Tamil Nadu and not from Jaffna… whats actually going on…
Anyway to summarize I think Ranil will be the best choice given his credentials and his contact. I AM NOT A UNPer and I don’t like the others in the UNP; please don’t come to the conclusion that I am a UNP er. Unfortunately this is not going to happen or may be until such time that we spend 1 Billion Rupees on a pound of bread or our inflation rates are so fast that there is no space to print Zeroes (1000000000000000000000) in our currency.
DBS please stop twittering and write articles like these.
Hey confused C!dont read twitter if it’s too much for you.Tweet.Tweet.Tweet………….DBSJ
Prima facie the analysis is excellent. In my view several issues that will be made central to the parliamentary elections, and to a lesser extent the Presidential election could sway the upcoming elections have not been discussed.
Corruption that has engulfed most economic activities, nepotism and blatant flouting of norms of civil adminitration that have made it possible for some segments of the population enjoy life at levels of luxury which they could have never imagined while others are surviving on a single meal a day, graduates without jobs, schools without furniture, teachers without schools, and lawlessness will become platform issues.
The General could say, I hads mnothing to do with any of these, ask the President and the opposition could point to the last three years. These could make juicy election propaganda in the hands of the JVP.
I agree with DBS this election could be full of surprises.
General Fonseka’s gift for inspiring confidence in himself perplexed some analysts because he was not a dashing battlefield general but a masterly military tactician and a task master, apparently what counted most in his generalship in the army also impressed the voters most: an ability to harmonize diverse groups and disparate personalities into a functioning coalition. The Sri Lanka army should be proud of him. Unleashing this talent is due to credit of Defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was with him in the battle front.
The sources of Genral Fonseka’s qualities of leadership were far different from those of other traditonal Sri Lankan politicains. President Rajapaksa is a patrician with a master’s manner in handling men learnt from being a survivor in SLFP; Ranil Wickremesinghe is an aristocrat born to be a good figure head but distanced from people; SB is a a tyrant who ruled by ruthless craft like many whaite clad politicians; Somawansa is a a peasant’s son given to hearty bluster; Fonseka again was a commoner who led because he was stubborn and uncorrupted.
Fonseka’s political appeal, apart from the glory conferred by his military accomplishments, lay in his background and his expression of it. He was a product of traditional Sri Lankan culture., a urban schoolboy town that did not have a swimmimng pool but became a good swimmer until 1980 after joining the army. He was also the product of a close-knit army group that fought against the LTTE but got beaten back due to Sri Lankan power brokering self-interested politicians. In short, a man to be trusted, a man to make the complex simple, to do the job.
The job to eradicate bribery and corruption in Sri Lanka, unless power corrupts.
Remember, in the glow of the war’s end, President Harry S. Truman offered to assist the general Eisenhower if he wanted to seek the Presidency in 1948. “Mr. President,” he said, “I don’t know who will be your opponent for the Presidency, but it will not be I.”
Fonseka, at the peak of his popularity. If he wants to build the country after the war towards a meaningful productive life for all Sri Lanka he should engage a diverse competent team who are for the interest of the country more than the self-interest.
This will be the real dawn of peace.
DBS , thank you
ananda markalanda- Los Angeles
There is no question that Tamils are a minority but it is due to this factor that successive governments ascended to power.
Now lest we forget, Fonseka or Mahinda or for that matter any of our aspiring presidents had to appease Tamil votes to gain power.
I’ll give credt where credit is due.
it is the weakness of or selfishness of our Tamil politicians that has paved the way for the Sinhala majority to trample our rights.
As long as we have Pillayan, Douglas, Anandasangari and lately Siddharthan there is no way Tamils would get redress.
Let us only hope the task is left to the media with the backbone to challenge the government and force it to address Tamil grievances.
We have already been let down by journalists who could have raised their voices for the wrongs done to Tamils but for selfish motives chose to side with the parties in power.
However GG tried to rally support with the UNP and disenfrachised upcountry Tamils his son Kumar was a force the govt had to reckon with.
Alas he was murdered by the govt with the connivance of Douglas.
Taraki and Lasantha suffered thesame fate.
But it is not too late if the media can raise its voice above any prejudice as their profession professes to uphold which are truth and integirty.
Why dont you also mention the irredeemable harm done to Tamils by LTTE&supporters?………..DBSJ
if SF would fight a war against privailing corruptions in public and private sector in sl, he would be the best president that SL would ever have after the independence. But how can a millitary leader have the relevant knoweldge for that without being in politics for such a long time as MR has been, is the question that the average in sl would raise. Surely, SF would not react as Paktiani mili leaders and will not lead our mother land to create similar states- this will be a question of time. However any leader who would take stern measures eleminating corruptions and improving human rights in sl, will no doubt lead the country to an another malaysia in asia.
What ever it is, the news that I read is not good. For any reason, if the news are ture, Gen Fonseka is not treated well by the government. He deserver more respect, and better treatment. I do not trust all the media because in this world “Free and Unbiased media” does not exist. All are biased to some individual or party. So, what to believe.
Believe in yourself first…………..DBSJ
Only time will tell…. whether MR will meet his Waterloo ..or whether SF will meet his Water in the Loo.
Or whether all of us have to go to the loo without water…………….DBSJ
Your article was fair and square. While reading the article I was wondering why you did not mention having both elections together and then at last I found this at the end of your article.
“One is to have both the Presidential and Parliamentary elections simultaneously and confound the opposition.”
Come or Go, let the people decide.
Rajapakse regime working for the nation now
A logical analysis of the current political situation points to a Parliamentary Election.
Parliamentary election are due in a few months.
.
The Opposition in total disarray.
UNP leader has no credibility even among his own party people.
Serial Loser and Traitor labelse have become permanant fixtures of his CV.
Managala can not win his own electorate.
JVP vote base has dwindled to nothing.
Ranil ,Mangala and Ganeshan Troika on stage will be a real vote puller in the Southern electorates.
People haven’t forgotten how the senior UNPers including Ranil ridiculed the Armed forces when they were in a do or die battle with the Terrorists.
TNA will have problems getting then the Eastern Tamil votes for their strong pro LTTE stance.
Even if the impossible happens and the Opposition gets in,the President will be in charge for a couple more years.
MR’s only problem at the moment is the purported corruption and the unruly behavior of a few loose cannons and the two timers whom Rajapaksa has to tolerate for survival at present.
The opposition’s blatant ploy to use SF to split the Sinhala Buddhist vote so that Ranil can win the Pesidential election with the pro LTTE Tamil vote.as the UNP candidate.
DBJS can’t be serious about his observation that MR will call a Presidential Election.This is an attempt to generate some discussions among his readers.
Mahinda is better off postponing the election and accelerating efforts on all fronts to win the peace. That would mean speeding resettlement of refugees, accelerating the development of a final peace proposal, as well as cutting corruption and crony culture, and reestablishing fiscal prudence and rule of law. If he can do all this in the next two years the people will love him and vote him in perpetuatum. The best way to neutralise General Fonseka is to stop making the war the focal point of the public imagination.
MR is not a lesser hero. He fought against the entire west fueled by the LTTE international mechanism. He stood like a stone wall against the US, British, EU & UN powers mustering all nessesary support from unusual allies like Russia, China & India. He faced greater militants like Miliband and the French guy.(I dont remember his name.) & Ban Ki Moon as well. He feed the country as well while providing all the state of the art military hardware and the man power for the “real Genarals” fight the war. More over he allowed the generals a free hand to fight taking a great political risk for him. If some thing went wrong the generals would have gone home and MR to the Gilletin. Nobody else will fight to share that with him. Provided this kind of over whelming political support who needs a lion to fight the war? Even Genaral Weerasuriya the preacher would have won the war.
We had generals par excellence in our army who could have made the LTTE mince meat while it was a cub.. But they were stabbed in the back by the political hierartchy before they finish the job fearing the same drama now being staged. Still they being the absolute officers and gentlemen. Not like the Judas of our time.
But MR was such a great leader he allowed this controvercial caractor to fight the war knowing very well that no other president would have given him that oppotunity knowing his ambitions. Chandrika gave former commander 3 years extention at once simply to keep him away. He was supposed to simply retire an go to US to run a 7/11 when this great man came to power and made him commander. He is going to bite the hand that fed him.
He ran the army like an absolute dictator. This was while there were powers above him. These morons are trying to give him absolute power and expect him to uphold the democratic values. My foot.
First he will avenge all and sundry who claims parallel credit with him for war victory. Then he will eat JVP raw for breakfast and burry Ranil & Mongal alive. (they are so rotten even a crazy lion can’t eat them) Tamils and Muslims dont warry you hahe Indian ocean right round SL.
No body else will allowed to live eccept his ball polishers and mistresses in the wemen’s corp. Wait for the modern day Pol Pot.
God bless my motherland. I wish Prabhakaran was alive.
Glorifying Fonseka is only to meet political needs of the opposition parties. Who and What Fonseka does is yet to be seen. An obscure Army officer with dull credentials was appointed Army Commander by the President because of his generous attitude to underdogs; Fonseka after getting the heat of the Commander’s office has assumed that he was bigger than himself.
Sarath Fonseka belongs to the same Army outfit that fought the terrorists for the past 30 years. SF does not want to admit that it was not the Army who could not defeat the terrorist, but the wimpy political leadership. Kobbekaduwa at the Vadamarachchi operations got LTTE leaders rounded at all corners. It was the leadership of JRJ which bungled that effort of the Army. Subsequently Premadasa, CBK and RW followed suit with similar mine set that LTTE cannot be defeated and clipping the wings of the Armed forces.
Ranilta rata bhara denna, Fonsekata chande denna
“General Sarath Fonseka met with the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka Patricia Butenis this afternoon, sources close to the General told the Daily Mirror. When contacted by Daily Mirror online the US Embassy in Sri Lanka neither denied nor confirmed if such a meeting took place.”
UNA has dumped Sarath Fonseka. I think Sarath Fonseka will still enter politics aiming at Presidential Elections in 2016. SF should not have got into this sh*t in the first place.
Dear DBS,
Believe that you have missed one point which may have been a major contributing factor for the split between MR & SF. The millions of dollars of profits (commissions) earned by millitary procuments. Believe that SF was also a director for the private company formed to do these procuments. how the profit sharing is going to be in future?????
Ranil’s strategy is to sideline Sarath Fonseka because of the block vote in the UNP which Ranil is sure of. So by promoting Sarath Fonseka from another source Ranil wants to tap into the anti-UNP votes between Sarath Fonseka and the President Mahinda Rajapakse. Ranil is hoping to have a better chance in a three-cornered fight.
On the other hand, even if the Sarath Fonseka accepts the ten conditions, still Ranil hopes to come through the back door, as he wants to be executive PM and abolish presidency. Ranil is in a dreamland dreaming about entry through back doors. There are also rumours emerging that the General is planning to register a new political party !
Sarath Fonseka has not made any statements about his future political plans. Having aligned with bankrupt losers he cannot see any ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. He is in fact capsized. Therefore, there is no doubt that he is confused as everyone else is about him!
I do not think any reason why there should be any presidential polls now. there is two more years to go. So, MR should forget about Sarath or anyone else in hurry to election and try to help those poor IDP’s have there lives back to normal. Who cares who is president as long as that person care for it citizens.
A govt and a leader, who tried to run a country merely on war, has failed. Now there are two leaders to share the war victory. In fact larger portion should go to SF. The govt has fully failed in economic war. The people in the country day by day are affected by the economic hardships.
Will see the results in the near future.
Indian Factor
One yet to be clear variable is how India would view Fonseka’s presidential bid.
Would Indians put an end to this ‘Tamasha’ early on or let it grow to take a shape and form is not known.
With already neighbouring Pakistan embroiled in Military administrations for decades, would India risk such a repetition on its Southern flanks? I do not think so…
Any Sri Lankan have the right to be a candidate for the Presidency, why loyalty has become the name of the game lately, just after speculations about SF’s entry to become the common candidate. The moment all these journalists had started the propaganda campaign.
Why SF was not so wrong during the war.
Isn’t it better that Bernard Montgomery was contesting against Churchill after the war than work for the same objective without trusting each other. This is where I give credit for SF, at least he was honest about the situation and made his move. It was already a broken bridge, it was so obvious when SF came to US that he was not informed about the possibility of the INS interview. If Gotabaya had to face it a month ago, then they should have at least warned him. Our so called greatest journalists has not being able to clarify that yet!
Is it still due to security reasons??
If someone to think deeply, it is obvious that there was not trust.
Also Vote of Sri Lankan should not be for the politicians, at the end of the day that vote should work for the benifit of the people. This is when the politicians wants to hide there corruptions they just crossover to teh party in the power to hide those.
In Sri Lanka, it looks like politicians are begging for the votes for the politicians dictatorship.
It is not the wounded pride, some justice should be there in the high ranks prior them preaching to it’s citizens!
Why does the two extremist groups namely the UNP and JVP join hands? The only common ground is to defeat MR at any cost.After that how will they move politically?
What we see here is, only the change of faces.
We are now entangled in the East-West Politics and will never be able to come out of it.
Will that help the Civil society? It is now time for the civil society of all opressed people from all communities to place their demands.
Dear DBS,
Great one again…
Could you write something what will happen after winning the election and the fate of the looser.
if sarath win and fate of mahinda gota and the gang, if mahinda wins and fate of sarath and ranil and mangala.
and most importantly the country positioning on international arena.india sri lanka relations and US sri lanka relations.Tamils reaction for him.
How country will be running. can there be coup against SF? Cos seems current context he is cross fingers with Army chief ,Navy and air force.Now all the officers who can influence support for SF have been transferred.SF cant even find a house because of army is not willing to see SF presence in sri lanka. Since Commander J will take the revenge of attempting to arrest him and Brigadier pannipitiya reinstated and he will too find a way to get the revenge. I think SF has done lot to himself than others to fade his future.
on the other hand his comments made on war crime at his collage. Can it be a use against him. Gota and mahinda will have to find another country to live if SF wins.. isn’t it? it will be very interesting to see how country will be after winning each one at least once but sake it should be good for people of the country.
Mahinda’s main reason for early Presidential election, forgoing almost two years of his presidency, was to sweep the polls against a weak candidate, basking in the war victory euphoria and repeat it in the parliamentary elections.
Another reason for this premature contest is to avoid a backlash against any financial burdens on the people that need to be imposed on IMF advice and which have been postponed until after the general elections.This point is not aired in your comprehensive article.
Subra
Well written.
If srilankans once again vote for mahinda I dont think srilanka have future, also young generation nothing to get acceprt poverty. These Mahinda keep more than 60 advisors for him, even world super powers leaders never had. If mahinda have good educational background why he must keep plenty of advisors for him? he doenst have proper prounasation in english too. General Fonseka is the right choice for the President. Armed forces are the real hero not these politicians.
SF is been used by the UNP to divide the SInhala Buddhist vote. RW will be the 3rd candidate and will stand a remote chance of winning with the Tamil and Muslim vote bank.
The UNP is taking advantage of SF inflated ego. He is blinded by his ego and will cause great harm to the country. Governing a country is different from commanding an Army, where disciple is at the highest levels with clear lines of authority. Politics is a different ball game
MR will win anyway and RW will be history thereafter.
Jeyaraj, you really made me to laugh at your comment below.
Only time will tell…. whether MR will meet his Waterloo ..or whether SF will meet his Water in the Loo.
Or whether all of us have to go to the loo without water…………….DBSJ
Hei ! DBS, i really enjoy reading yr articles. Keep up yr good work. Ravi Sene
People who ascend by Machiavellians traits, have not stayed there for long. So the time is up for MR.
Fonseka will bounce in no doubt, and put all corrupt officials behind Bars. What matters now is for Fonseka to indicate his willingness to fight corruption without reservation.
Dear DBS,
Excellent article as always.
I too agree with Sujeewa #5. MR should be given the credit for standing against the world. We can now walk tall know that our leaders were not puppets dancing to the tune of the western governments.
Another thing, we and our families can go about safely without the fear of bombs and suicide bombers. This is a great peace of mind. In the past when we and our loved ones left home we did not know if we would return in one piece or return at all.
I think it is shameful the way the oppostion is exploiting the sitation. It shows that they have no love for the country only a strong love for power.
The UNP scoffed at the early military victories. How are they going to justify what they have said in the past about Thoppigala.
Also, it is disgraceful of Sarath Fonseka to join with people who had no faith in the army to win the war.
There may be differences of opinion or stronger. But I think he should be more patriotic that join with people who scoffed at his military victories.
Do you think America has a hand in this fiasco?
The US CIA is known for its divide and rule tactics.
They did it when Russia was in Afghanistan. Bin Laden is their creation.
Also the western powers are smarting from the way MR ignored them and stood up to them. he did not dance to their tune. For which we as Sri Lankans are proud that we have a strong leaders in MR and GR
So I think they would love to see him out of power and a puppet like RW in place.
Do you see an American hand in this?
External hands can only exploit internal divisions.I think our divisions are basically created by ourselves …………DBSJ
MR has his brothers well entrenched plus tremendous support from China, India and Pakistan. He got India by giving the lease on oil storages in Trincomalee. He got China involved in Hambantota Port and airfield. Both Hambantota and Trinco are close to Diego Garcia, US base in Indian Ocean and any one who commands these ports can check mate the US base as well as India. Trinco, is one of the best natural harbours in the world, accommodated the British South Eastern fleet after the fall of Singapore. According to military analyst, anyone who commands the Indian Ocean will win the next world war. US an ally of India is worried about SL because in a future war with China, strategically placed SL can be the pivot point. It is India which pressurised US to release the IMF loan to SL as they did not want MR on the wrong side. On the international scene, MR has proved himself to be an excellent PR man or a good bull sh..t artist. Hence MR has manoeuvred himself into an unassailable position.
Against this, SF has previously on several occasions stated his mind which shows his character. He called Tamil Nadu politicians Jokers, on the pay of LTTE and said SL belongs to Sinhalese. It is nothing unusual for an army man to call a spade a spade but not good for politics. India is suspicious of SF. (RAW operatives have been present in the north of SL even when the fighting was going on. They have also assessed SF) So SF chances of winning vs MR is slim but if he does, he will reorganise SL like what he did with SLA and set up a virtual dictatorship. This may be very good or very bad for SL. Tamils would probably put their lot with MR as he is the known devil, so is India. Tamils want some peace and don’t want a fatal flirtation with unknown SF.
What about SF with Gota as his running mate (vice president ) running for the next presidential election in the US ? As he has a green card and will be a US citizen soon. This may be the reson he meet the US ambassador.
Like George Bush he has conqured ‘Terrarism’.
I heard somre news about SF has been ordered to vaccate his official residence at once by MR and also when he had been trieng to rent a suitable secure house in Colombo and its suburbs but Government thugs have prevented him doing so. It lookes he Is going to be another IDP. Why not try and get a place for him to live in the Mank farm as it is well secured and good five star facilities are there according to the Government and milltary. If the five star facilities in Manik farm is good enough fot the Tamil IDPS it is good enough to the General as well. And I hear most of the Tamil IDPS have been released and re settled in their homes, So there is plenty of space for the General and all his ontorage mercedes benze including and mistrsses to settle in these camps. So he can entertain foreign dignataries Parki,Chinese, Indian generals, and even Ban Ki Moon will also visit him for a drink.
Retd.Lieut General Sarath Fonseka’ if he has any sense of decorum and perhaps even self preservation should side step this coerced push by all the decrepit opposition politicos egging him on particularly the spineless leader of the opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe who becomes very visible as the cat baiter using the paws of an unsuspecting cat to pull out his roasted Kos Etay ( the proverbial Jak Seed) from the fire while also having the nerve to lay pre conditions before his Presidential Candidature demanding his appointment as executive prime minister from someone who has not even been elected to the highest office he is seeking as yet!!
The Retired Lieut.General seems to be overlooking the most important item which many see as his detrimental achilles heel namely his apparent insubordination to his former C.E. O. and Commander of the Armed Forces, his Excellency the President.The retired Lieut.General consequently has been refered to as a joker in a recent bulletin in the Asian Tribune which will be quoted from time to time here but more fittingly perhaps should be the term a conniving, power hungry dreamer whose projected aspirations in the false and misguided belief that he has any chance at overcoming the National popularity of President Mahinda Rajapaksha regardless of split votes or the false propaganda which is already spreading anti Rajapaksha sentiment courtesy of the UNF, the JVP and the TNA appear somewhat ludicrous as the pro Rajapaksha sentiment amongst most national voters is huge and insurmountable to say the least and aspirations to dethrone the incumbent President using the ungainly and incongruous means he is utilising towards the effort will surely blow up in Fonseka’s face if not worse ramifications which could follow to his detriment should he continue his aspirations!
While many discerning are questioning his letter of resignation addressed to the President, seeking retirement from the Sri Lanka Army, marked confidential with an annexure which was also marked confidential abeit quite amusingly splashed on the front pages of most local newspapers the question is also being asked whether the General really understands what he meant by the word ‘confidential’. suggesting a new look bungler despite his big stints as Lieut General where aspirations to lead the nation of Sri Lanka verily needs no bungling(UNF,JVP,TNA et al please note!)
It has been pointed out that the Lieut.Gen. is now full of contradictions and appears jumpy as he has made many Faux Pas’~ some of which as cases in point are outlined below which seem to attest to his undecided as well as confused state of mind where the reader is asked to draw his or her own conclusion based on what has been submitted in black and white, hence irrefutable towards the rationale that they are very contradictory!
He writes~ “The plight of the IDPs ( Internally Displaced Persons) is also a point of great concern to me. Thousands of valiant soldiers sacrificed their valuable lives to liberate these unfortunate civilians from the brutality and tyranny of the LTTE in order that they could live in an environment of freedom and democracy. Yet, today many of them are continuing to live in appalling conditions due to the lack of proper planning on the part of the government and the IDPs who have friends and relatives elsewhere in the country must be given the choice to live with them until proper demining has been done in their areas.” However, Gen Fonseka and his concern for IDPs have been cited as a joke as it was common knowledge that when President Mahinda Rajapaksa wanted to start the resettlement process much earlier, this very General Fonseka had stalled the move. Does he need reminding today that he had carried the day by claiming that more than 10,000 LTTE cadres were lurking in the midst of the IDPs and by insisting on a thorough screening before resettling them?
The General has been politely asked ” where are those 10,000 LTTE Cadres you said were hiding behind the displaced people. Don’t you even remotely feel remorse and full responsibility for delaying the resettlement in the process setting off a global diatribe and backlash of opinions based on this single action of yours? Aren’t you if you have any conscience compelled to admit that it was only because of you that the Sri Lankan President, his ministers and officers and all others involved with the resettlement process were forced to delay the process of resettling the displaced families? So would’t it be a fair conclusion that only because of you, Mr General, the IDP camps remained there for long and have invited international focus.And today you the main person in high office who was responsible for delaying the resettlement process, has begun to shed crocodile tears seemingly heartbroken at IDPs continuing to live in appalling conditions while also advocating that IDPs must be given the choice to live with their friends and relatives? What an appalling load of duplicitous twaddle! garnered towards your run for the Presidency in your attempt to fool the voters of Sri Lanka. Bearing in mind that this sudden change of heart with concern for the IDPs was non existent until Nov 12, the day The Lieut Gen. wrote his resignation letter it needs to be asked once again where has it come from? Aren’t you deluding yourself that that the IDPs will be impressed by your sudden outburst of pity and concern and will become your admirers while also entertaining the false notion that the Tamils in the IDP welfare centres will vote for you if you enter the presidential race whereas the reality would be that these people would have the wrath of Hades directed at you for your inveterate duplicity?” end quote.
Next, the icing on the cake towards Fonseka’s wobbly manouvering he probably need reminding that it was not that long ago and as recently as the 23rd of September 2008, he as Sri Lanka’s Army Commander, had given an interview to Stewart Bell of the National Post Newspaper of Canada, and that he had made some disquieting observations – not expected of a General, whose army has members of all ethnic groups in the country.
“I strongly believe”, the General told the interviewer,” that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people…We being the majority of the country, 75%, we will never give in and we have the right to protect this country…We are also a strong nation … They (the minorities) can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things…”
He spoke of Sinhala nation and not as Sri Lanka and as a Sri Lankan. He displayed Sinhala ethnocentrisms and chauvinistic mentality in that interview by spewing discrimination towards the minority communities in that country. . He was not prepared to consider, Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamils as Sri Lankans and to concede the basic tent that this country belongs to both the majority and minority communities, like in a country, anywhere, always.
Strangely, while depriving the Muslims and Tamils of the joint ownership of the country with the Sinhalese brethrens, General Fonseka therefore rather shamefully berated the efforts of winning hearts and minds of the Tamils.
To cap it all up towards confirming the concept being highlighted here towards Fonseka’s unworthiness as a President of Sri Lanka (even remotely hypothetically) the Retired General wrote in his letter of resignation that “Your Excllency’s government has yet to win the peace in spite of the fact that the Army under my leadership won the war. There is no clear policy to win the hearts and minds of the Tamil people, which will surely ruin the victory, attained paving the way for yet another uprising in the future”. suggesting what to many analysts is the biggest conflict of interest towards his personal ambition also laced in contradiction and all the more reason this person is undeserving of the Presidency of Sri Lanka envisioned even remotely!
None of these however can take away Sarath Fonseka’ immense capacity as a brave military leader who put his life at risk and drew from all his resources as a fine Officer and a Gentleman dedicated towards liberating his country from a dreaded terrorist faction which was above and beyond the call of duty towards eliminating the LTTE on a joint tour de force of all armed forces headed by their CEO!
What is perplexing however is the resilience of his rhetoric towards justifying an undeserving claim of his entitlement to the Sri Lankan Presidency which carries fear in the minds of some that he could well prove to be a military dictator while even confounding his champions at the present who don’t seem to entain this concept being the dim witted lot they truly are.
In reality Lieut Gen. Fonseka should ride out graciously into the sunset of his retirement rather than rekindling a parallel to the turmoils of the past which he helped eliminate and be remembered as a National Hero rather than an aspiring and now redundant Pervez Musharraf !
Yawn..
DBSJ, are you loosing your Midas touch ? Stating the blindingly obvious and unable to bring any insights….
Can you please write about why we don’t see any wounded Tiger carders? SL Army hospitals and welfare centres are bursting at the seems with young limbless men while there seems to be very few ex LTTE carders wounded !! Why ??Where are they ? In India ? in Canada ? Norway ? Or were they very effective against injury ? Did not get injured ? Were they shot dead by the Tigers ? This will be far more interesting than this superfluous political nonsense
DBSJ RESPONDS:
Aney Kosala
I dont want the Midas touch. You know the story .The poor soul couldn’t eat and all those near and dear were turned into gold too. Aiyo mata epa!
I also envy you Kosala that you can go to sleep easily. How lucky.
Let me bid you good night and wish you deep slumber quoting Romeo -
“Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast!
Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest!”
Great writing DBSJ Please keep it up
Regarding you statement that SF would have been prevented from contesting if MR didn’t accept his resignation, there was a strong legal opinion that this would not be the case. The constitution clearly states any citizen above 30 and satisfying some other requirements (not being in military is not one of them) can contest presidency. The constitution overrides all other laws and hence it was opined that SF would be allowed by courts even if MR didn’t accept his resignation. This was discussed in Sunday Times political column a couple of weeks ago.
While you discuss many of MR’s good qualities you don’t consider his weaknesses – naked neoptism, plundering of national wealth for his family, overseeing a government who engages in shady deals even in importing drugs for hospitals, killing and threatening journalists, lack of an economic vision, “closed door” mentality inherent to SLFP – which includes palns to ban even adult movies – the list goes on. In a peace time these would be the important factors and it’s certainly time for a regime change. I personally think SF-UNF combination can achieve this objective and therefore support them. However, I agree with your analysis that MR has been greatly underestimated and his tactic to take the bull by the horns my ultimately work. However, if that happens, get ready for a lanslide in the scale of 1977 in 2017 because of the reasons I mentioned earlier.
And it’s nice to know that MR has some Tamil supporters. Good for Sri Lanka!
DBSJ RESPONDS:
What you state here is only a legal opinion. It has not been tested in courts. Mahinda could have delayed accepting it if he wanted to. There was no legality that forbade him from doing so.
Given the state of our judiciary the ruling could have been ifavourable to Mahinda
Filibustering and stonewalling is acceptable in politics.
But Mahinda did not resort to that .Instead he accepted Fonseka’s resignation promptly.
This article is not a discussion on Mahinda’s merits or defects. It is only about why Mahinda will have to face presidential elections first. In that context some of Mahind’s personality traits were referred to. There was no discussion on Mahinda’s “good qualities” as you mention. It is also not a discussion on his negative qualities.
If Sarath Fonseka can have Tamil supporters then why can’t Mahinda have Tamil supporters too?
Hi DBS
Thanks for your response to my question (17).
In SL every- body get ready for GE / PE. Overseas some section of Tamil Diaspora busy with Election for Transitional government of TE, Election for re-firm Vaddukoddai – Resolution, Election for Tamil forum(s). Even some front line Tiger supporters flying to Colombo and having wine & dine with MR & bro’s. Now SL Tamil & Muslim parties came all the way down to Zurich for summit. Even some people Mickey that, this year Col Ram will deliver the Hero’s day speech from 4th Floor CID branch. Everything looks fishy.( Yarkuthinalum arisiyanal sari.) Who knows the pain of silence from the ordinary poor people.
I think some people here think that credit of the war victory should go to SP. But my opinion that is not right. Victory was achieved through the team work of Government, Armed forces, Diplomats, policy makers, civil servants, ordinary people……….etc . We should choose the leader who has the right attribute to lead the country fairly and peacefully in forth coming years; not the basis of who won the war. By selecting the racist leaders in the past, whole country suffered a lot. We should not make the same mistake again and again.
Sarath Fonseka rented out a house for 1 million per month. A former public servant paying 1 million as monthly house rent, tells how much his son-in-law made through shady defense deals.
To defeat LTTE President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave the political leadership, while Defense Secretary, Army, Navy, Air Force and Police ollectively worked tirelessly to defeat LTTE. On propaganda front, Dr Palitha Kohona, Dr Dayan Jayatillake, Prof Rajiv Wijesignhe and several diplomats (not all) confronted the international mis-information campaign. Dedication of several patriotic organisations, newspapers and websites saved mother lanka from LTTE. Above all, several thousands of soldiers made their supreme sacrifice to save Mother Lanka from LTTE. Indeed, it was a team effort of many.
Hi DBSJ, As usual well articulated article with right mixture of fact with if, but & then. I believe you have missed (I don’t know why) one major factor for Mahinda’s Ona ekata ottu attitude, is nothing but INDIA. MR fought this war while heading on with International power, because India had promised to cover SL. No matter what happen to econ front but took the war forward because India had promised the much needed financial support. MR Kicked the democracy’s butt by buying & bulling all possible Opp MPs, PC members & even a municipal council because India had promised to tackle the Opp parties (by its own means). Removed opposed media permanently or temporarily and effectively shuts the 3rd pillar of democracy, once again backed by INDIA.
India simply tested their new strategy on terrorism on Sri Lankan soil and achieved long dream of controlling Sri Lanka’s economy and progress. Two Mangos in one stone!!!
So MR is strongly believes that INDIA and RAW will put him back to the top post & I am sure INIDA is capable of doing such things by hock or crock. All my worry is soon Our Mother Lanka will be another (un-official) state of INIDA. The moment SF tenders his resignation we have visitor (INDIAN governor general for Lanka?) from INDIA. Look at Lankan roads, those Jap vehicles are replaced by INDIAN, most of top companies management position is filled by INDIAN as consultants. INDIAN products are filled in all shops & Pharmacies. Yes we have uprooted the terrorism which was rooted by same INDIANS and librated the nation but we are slowly and steadily submerging to INDIA. I don’t see the light at end of the tunnel but Hindustani express train
Great article, Mr Jeyaraj as always.
Doesn’t Mahinda have another option? That is to hold the parliamentary elections first and abolish executive presidency and enter as an executive prime minister which is exactly what Ranil is proposing. That will simply close the curtains on UNP and JVP.
DBSJ RESPONDS:
I recall JR being asked by an interviewer whether Chandrika Kumaratunga would abolish presidency as promised by her. The vetern politico smiled and said no one who becomes president would do so
When JR was interviewed after
DBS,
Sri Lanka has just announced that the IDP camps will be “open” from December 1st and anyone can go and come as they wish. They have also stated that the camps will be closed for good on January 31.
So may be the story that it was SF who opposed resettling of the IDPs is true. Now that he is gone may be even the army does not have any objections to speedy resettling of the IDPs.
The timing is very interesting.
#64, Tranquility, you do not sound tranquil at all. You say it is India is submerging with everything Indian. Well one time the Brits were dominating the world, then it was everything British in SL, then came the US, Japanese in that order, now it is the time of Indians and Chinese to dominate this world. That is how these things work. Given the close proximity to India and the cultural connections, we will be utter fools if we did not get close to India and try to take advantage of the Indian economic upsurge. That means Indian goods in the country, Indian expertise to run companies and Indian vehicles on the roads. Few vehicles on the road does not men that 20 years down the road we will be speaking Hindi and sending members to sit in the Indian parliament in Delhi.
SF is going to lose face this time very badly
Already MR & Co. is on to him by asking him to vacate
his offficial residence in three days. He is going to rent
a house for a million rupees a month. From where did he get the money for that. What about the young village boys/girls who made the ultimate sacrifice for mother Lanka at the prime of their life?. Their families are still living in poverty, and some of them still don’t know whether they are dead or alive. If SF want to do something good, may be he can help for the welfare of the armed forces. But again, as we all know revenge and settling scores are more important for our people.
SF wants the credit for himself for defeating LTTE, but it was a team effort led by none other than the President Mahinda Rajapakse. If the whole thing went pear-shaped, who would have got the blame.?. By now everyone would have been looking for Mahinda’s head.
.
When you deal with a terrorist you have to think outside the conventional conflict rules. When you deal with a politician you have to deal outside of the political box. The war against the terrorists was easy; the real War, the War against corruption starts now.
I have nothing personal against Sarath Fonseka. However, I will not vote for anybody teaming up with or indirectly supporting top scum of Sri Lanka. It is quite sad and ironical that those who despised General Fonseka are bogusly supporting him so that they can come to power from the back door. I would like to give President Rajapakse another term to ensure stability of the nation.
මේ ජනාධිපතිවරණය මම ජයගන්නවා. ඒක ඒකාන්තයි. ඔබ ඉන් ලබන පරාජයෙන් පසුව ඔබට ඔය අද ඔබ ළඟින් ඉන්න එක්කෙනෙක්වත් නැති වෙනවා. මේ අයට එල්ලෙන්න වැලේ වැල් නැතිවයි හිටියේ. කිසිම මාවතක් නැතුවයි මොවුන් සිටියේ. අද ඔබ ඔවුන්ට එල්ලෙන්න ලොකු අත්තක් දුන්නා. ඔවුන්ට යන්න මාවතක් පෙන්නුවා. අන්න ඒ නිසයි ඔබව මෙතනදී ඔවුන් පාවිච්චි කරන්නේ. ඉදිරියේදී ලබන පරාජයෙන් පස්සේ ඔබට ඔය කවුරුවත් නැති වෙනවා. කමක් නැහැ ඔබට මම ඉන්නවා. ඔවුන් ඔබව අතඇරියට පසු ආයෙත් මා ළඟට එන්න. මම ඔබව පිළිගන්නවා. අපි ආයෙත් එකතුවෙලා වැඩ කරමු.
http://www.divaina.com/2009/11/15/politics01.html
Fonseka should now know who his true friends are.
What an ungrateful man.
The construction work on the second international airport will commence on November 27 at Mattala, Hambantota.
Ports and Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa said the new airport will be constructed on a 2,000 hectare bare land in Hambantota district at a cost of US $ 200 million.
The Government of the People’s Republic of China will financially assist the project providing a soft loan facility. The construction comes under two phases. At the first phase all basic facilities and requirements will be completed including runaway, taxiways and parking facilities.
At the first phase, initial construction would cover an extent of 800 hectares of land. At the second phase all other work, airport and aviation related facilities will be established such as servicing and repairing centre for aircraft, hotels, pilot training centre, maintenance hub, private jet parking, technical training centres and many more facilities will be completed.
The second phase will cover 1,200 hectares. The construction will be carried out so as to meet the international standards such as ICAO specifications for Code 4F. The runway is 3,500 metres in length and 75 metres in width. The construction of the first stage has been scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011 when the airport will be commissioned. As scheduled the first flight will land by December 2011. The runaway is large enough to operate any jumbo size aircraft such as the A380 airbus the largest aircraft ever built.
The Bandaranaike International Airport commenced operations four decades ago. The country is facing much difficulties as there isn’t another international airport. Normally international airlines ask the country whether another international airport is available which can be used as an alternative before they begin operations. We can overcome that barrier and many international airlines will start operations to Sri Lanka.
The airport will be constructed as an ‘eco-friendly airport’ minimising damage to the environment. Mattala the place where the airport is built can be accessed easily from any place of the country via three main routes. The airport will play a vital and supportive role in the development of the entire country while promoting the air-sea transshipment hub operation in conjunction with the Hambantota harbour.
It is a pitty the hole SF dug for him-self – not by resigning but by writing that stupid resignation letter. He should have known better. SF has enough sh*t on it so all can smell. Normally, resignation letter of a professional does not divulge details – rather use words like -”unavoidable circumstances, personal reasons etc.”, as you guys know. That was a policy statement. Reading that I deflated like a bloody over used pr*ck.
SF better know his game if he ever gets in to politics. Sri Lankan politics is a special brand – not text book type – One has to have a tight a** hardened by getting screwed over many years. Well MR has one of the tightest in the business.
Politics is like chess – not a game to win with one single piece. It is the position and the rank of many pieces and their combination will win the game.
Ane Api nodanna chess!
Jathika Hela Urumaya contested its first parliamentary elections on April 2, 2004. All of its candidates were Buddhist monks. At these elections the party won 6% of the popular vote and nine out of 225 seats.”
It was a surprise for all. And then MR started “Poho dhina dharma deshanawa” on all the Poya days at Temple Trees, and RW started to write books about Buddhism.
This tallies with the Confession of an Economic Hitman [John Perkins]
Importance:
- Hambantota harbour
- Oil [if any]
- Strategic chinese presence
- Be a hub of regional power tussle between China, Russia, India and Pakistan
Hitman:
- Policy change via diplomats – failed
- Economic consultations provided by financial institutions and private firms – partially succesful, yet recovered
- Bargain using aid – failed
- Aid embargo – failed due to non-western nations
- Scare tactics – so far no success
Next:
If we go by theory next is Jackal stage. CIA took just two months to remove two leaders – Jaime Roldós and Omar Torrijos – in a similar fashion for the simple reason they didn’t listen to Hitman. Neither of the leaders supported communism.
Yet assassination is last attempt by Jackal. Firstly they try what they call the “Kissinger theory” by bringing anti-govt social elements together and try democratically. Then they try through rebellion. Neither fails/has no chance, then comes the plot.
MR has to be very very careful.
Sujeewa
We have to be ashamed to say Sri Lanakans because of MR, Sf and VP. Has anyone seen the pictures published in the book called Pain of Silence. I sincerely hope the justice will be done to those children one day.
Lord Bhuddaha said that victorians at war lose their peace of mind and happiness. How true it is. If MR continues to rule the country there will be another uprise in sinhala community.
Pease read the article written by Rukvani Methegama- about Mahinda and his 3 brothers
e.g-365 memebers of MR family memebers are holding important positions.
DBSJ
You say that by havng the presidential elections first, Mahinda will lose at least one year, but isn’t it at nearly 2 years he will lose?. That is a lot of time for a man of 64, who has the last chance here to put his legacy on the economic front, to show he is not a Winston Churchill, but a Winston and Margaret combined. He is also aware of this contantly quoting how Winston was booted out of office. As such there does not seem much sense in him cutting his tenure down by nearly 2 years, when he needs every single day to stamp his credibility on the economic front After all ending the war was not an end in itself but the precurser to economic development wasn’t it? Already we have seen foreign exchange reserves and investment improving dramatically since the precarious lows it hit during the height of war..
So the best option for him is i believe to have the parliamentary elections first, and before the presidential elections in Nov 2011 show the same energy and commitment that he showed to the war effort, now direct in onto the economy.
The war was won because Mahinda selected correctly Gotabhaya and he in turn selected Fonseka, and SF then selected the correct officers for the operations. He should now select the correct people to run the economy and tell them that by Nov 2011 there should be a substantial improvement. That is the way I believe to go and accept a bigger challenge than the war itself.
Mahinda should do the following.
1. Appoint Gota as the Prime Minister. Give him a target of double digit economic growth to achieve and a free hand. Gota has to now grapple with the economy and gain experience, if he one day hopes to succeed Mahinda.
2. Appoint Karannagoda as the Defence Secretary.
3. Appoint Shavendra Silva as the CDF. Increase the powers of the CDF, as one of the grouses of Fonseka was that it was a ceremonial post. I selected this officer because he was instrumental in breaking through the Killinochi defences and showed flair and brilliance.
4. Have the parliamentary elections in April.
5. Before the election have the economic policies ready to put before the people.
Gota is the sledge hammer that is needed to put the economy right. Mahinda has to tailormake a political solution that will help him in this task. You can only sell a political solution to the Sinhala masses by tying it up to the economy and showing how greatly it will benefit the economy and lift up the standard of living.
Rathnasiri Wickremanayaka can have a sleep in his home instead of in parliament, and can start scratching around with his wife, instead of Hilary.
This is what will happen if you make any enemies in Sri lanka. If we want to become a Singapore first of all we have to clean the place up of crime and corruption like in Singapore.
“By Devapriya Chandrasiri & Vijitha Kumarasiri
A woman taking her child to school was hacked to death by five masked assailants who attacked her in broad day light and left her body at her mother-in-law’s yard.
According to Kandana police the crime was committed at around 7.00 am yesterday.The victim was identified as 42-year-old Niranjala Ediriweera Jayasuriya of No.46. Ferry Road, Welisara.
Hearing the screams of the victim, her uncle –Benette Perera—who rushed out was chased away by the assailants.
Kandana police said the assailants had been waiting till the mother and child came out of the house and attacked the victim. When the victim attempted to escape the assailants had chased and attacked her. The slain woman’s husband is employed in Italy and the daughter of the deceased who narrowly escaped is now under police protection.
According to police, the reason behind the killing remains a mystery.
Investigators from the Finger Prints Department visited the scene but they have not been able to get any leads as to the identity of the suspects.
The Wattala Magistrate was due to conduct the inquest.”
62 Sunil,
I hope your figure are right. but from what I know rents are down in Colombo. A Mansion is max 250K One million a month would be an embassy. perhaps it would be 1 mil a year.
Further to my comment on corruption the following corruption perception index 2009 shows what a cancer it has become in our society. Culture they say always permeates downwards from the top. Clean the top up first.
The best ten are
1. New Zealand
2. Denmark
3.Singapore
4.Sweden
5.Swizerland
6. Finland
7.Nertherland
8.Australia
9. Canada
10.Iceland
Srlanka is ranked 97th out of 180 countries.
Sarath Fonseka has rejected the conditions laid down by the opposition United National Front for him to be their common presidential candidate.
He had made it clear that he cannot agree to the condition to abolish the Executive Presidency in 180 days and give up the presidential immunity in 30 days on being elected as the President. Fonseka had conveyed his stand to SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem and Democratic People’s Front leader Mano Ganeshan when they visited the General last week.
Fonseka had said that there is no point in contesting the presidency if he is to resign after six months and that like the other political parties in the alliance he too has his own policies. Therefore he has suggested that all three groups – the UNF, the JVP and he should sit and prepare a new set of policies for the presidential election.
The JVP parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake last week told a media conference that the opposition would be fielding a common candidate in case the presidential election is held first and such a candidate should be someone acceptable to all parties and they hope to discuss the matter with the UNP. Meanwhile, at the UNP Working Committee meeting held last Thursday, the UNP rebel Johnston Fernando had questioned the party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as to whether Fonseka would be the common opposition candidate. Wickremesinghe had replied that such a decision has not yet been taken.
In the current scenario there is a strong possibility for the presidential election to be a three cornered battle among President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sarath Fonseka.
62. Sunil, When Mahinda is booted out, how much rent do you think he will afford?
dear dbsj,
i just want to get a clarification from you.i remember you mentioned when someone talked about so called kerala connection of vp that a general is a sixth generation malayali is he sf.can u claify.
Bulls eye!……….DBSJ
Dear Mr Jeyaraj,
Thank you for putting the things on perspective.
suNIL #57
your comment is longer than the article posted by DBSJ. You wrote,
“In reality Lieut Gen. Fonseka should ride out graciously into the sunset of his retirement rather than rekindling a parallel to the turmoils of the past which he helped eliminate and be remembered as a National Hero rather than an aspiring and now redundant Pervez Musharraf ”
unfortunately, the chances are NIL. (as in your name)
One thing is sure, your country’s next president will be a war criminal. The Pariah status of your state will remain unchanged in the international community.
“The litmus test of Rajapaksa’s political courage was in the manner in which he withstood immense international pressure to declare a ceasefire at a time when the armed forces were poised to defeat and destroy the Tigers”
To set the record straight,
The immense international pressure was due to civilian casualities, Tigers were not the excuse to slaughter his own citizens in tens of thousands by this war criminal.
You have to pay the prize when you do not obey the international rules and regulations regarding humanrights and act like a TERRORIST.
If these thugs are not cowards they should volunterily go to Hague to prove their innosense in the international criminal court of justice.
ken
to comment 79-sriram
Can yu shed some light on why these malayalees cannot work with others in a team and always want to have their own way. First they charm you, then you get a snakebite.
Re # 79 and # 81 What happens to Mr.Bhadrakumar whose articles critisizing India’s role has been the flavour of recent months?.These articles do the rounds as if there is no tomorrow in the email land.It is funny that he is never tagged as a malayalee.Be ready for the snakebite then!Sorry DBSJ as this comment has nothing to do with the SF and the presidential elections or is it?
• 80. Ken Leclair
“One thing is sure, your country’s next president will be a war criminal. The Pariah status of your state will remain unchanged in the international community. The immense international pressure was due to civilian casualties.
You have to pay the prize when you do not obey the international rules If these thugs are not cowards they should voluntarily go to Hague to prove their innocence in the international criminal court of justice.ken”
MY response:- In WW2, UK & USA carpet bombed Germany. US killed or maimed more than 2 million Japanese CIVILIANS using atomic bomb. When questioned, US president said it was to save US war casualties! Because Japs were fighting to the last man and US did not want their soldiers killed. So they killed a huge amount of Jap civilians to shock the nation. Probably one US life was worth about 10,000 Jap lives. Bush, Blair and Howard invaded Iraqi on the flimsiest grounds. They found NO WMD’s. Just before the last election when he was dumped, Howard admitted they invaded Iraqi due to their oil! Independent Medical group based in UK found the ratio of Iraqi civilian casualties to combatants were 200:1. They imprisoned suspected Al-Qaida in Guntalemo bay to prevent them seeking redress under US law. But these people according to you do not seem to be war criminals. Were they tried at the Nunberg trials? Never. Who made the most money out of the Iraqi war? Dick Cheney the Vice president of US, Bush’s right hand man. Who paid for Bush’s campaign? The disgraced ENRON energy supplier who robbed Billions from American people & went bankrupt. Of course SL is a small country and there are war criminals. SL can be bullied because we are small and poor. Although I am never a supporter of GOSL or MR, at least MR had the bal..s to stand up to these western hypocrites and tell them where to go. Before you pass judgment my friend, clean up your own backyard.
Dear Don, #83,
You very convenently state those facts which are favourable to you. The states like US, UK etc also have a procedure called court marshall.
They have tried their citizens who have violated the laws.
They treat all their citizens equally. They didn’t bomb their own citizens.
When they entered into an agreement they didn’t break up that agreement like you did in sena-chelva pact and dudley selva pact.
They didn’t do ethnic cleansing against anybody, most importantly their ethnic minorities.
They didn’t colonize the land of their own minority people by settling the majorities.
They provide equal opportunities for all. They stand for the freedom of press and not engage on gunning down the journalists like you do.
There, a black man is now the first citizen.
I salute Obama. I salute Americans for this.
They don’t block the food and essential commodities that are needed for the common man on the pretext of fighting terror.
You are a small country. Yes agreed. But Japan is also a small country. Uk is also not a very big country.
They don’t behave jingoistically.
In every country there are ethnic and religious minorities. They are treated well. The test of the majority community is in treating their ethnic and religious minorities well.
Learn from them. In the name of patriotism don’t try to defend the indefensible behavior of your past and present political leadership.
#80, Dear Mr Ken Leclair,
We are not a Pariah state as you say. No state is Pariah beacuse citizens are not pariah. To educate you in english the word pariah stands for outcast from society ect. Sri Lanka is not an outcast in the world society.
You must be from a western country. Learn from me today the world powers are the Chinese – yes the lowly chinese whom you called – coolies and the indians, your dollar has shrunk to extreme lows.
The war to maim and kill thousands of people from bombs set in busses, trains and other civilian places were funded from your shores. Your governments should be going to Hague first.
You better get your facts right about the so called ‘thousands’ killed. I am not happy about the civilain deaths, but there is real peace for us civilians here. no fear of sending our cildren to school not knowing whether they would come back or whether we would survive.
Sri Lanka will elect a demcratically elected president. whether it be SF or MR is for the people of this country to decide.
The current Pariah states are the US and the western countries whoare in Iraq, Afghanistan . you are the ones who are Pariah in the eyes of those societies.
Did you call for war crimes after the vietnam war or you didnt invent a method call carpet bombings. Didi you get a call for Hiroshima bombings?
get a life man and look into your own mirror before calling anyone else pariah.
Dear DBS ,
Intresting artical,
B U T
Very soon we can watch General SF vs Highway Robbers film
This time people will volantarily deliver the award
(What ever election whether it president or parliment
it will be General’s(SF) election.)
#79 Jagan
a large number of people who live on the coastal belt on the west and south can trace back their origins to Kerala. In fact most of the so called “Karawa” cast originated from Kerala 5-6 generations ago. SF is also from that cast. Having said that, does that mean that thee people maintain any connections to Kerala? No absolutely not. However, if you ever visited Kerala you would be astounded by how similar the Keralites are to the Southern coastal Singhalese. The food they eat, the way they dress, are so similar.
#80 Ken,
Your hypocrisy knows no limits. I am sure Mahinda and company will be very happy to submit to Hauge, but lets do these things in Chronological order, so first it will have to be Bush, Cheney, Blair, Howard (for Iraq). Then it will be Putin (Chechnia), next will be present and the past leadership of Israel (for Gaza and Lebanon). And don’t forget China’s Hu Jintao (Tibet).
And what about the current wonder boy of the West Obama? No I guess when civilians die due to unmanned drone attacks in Pakistan by US planes, that is just collateral damage.
As an earlier poster pointed out, US dropped atom bombs on Japan when they pretty well knew that 90% of the populations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were civilian and also at a stage of the war when every one knew that Japan was beaten already. I did not recall anyone labling USA
Dear Jeyaraj,
Thanks for your excellent analytical work.
I can understand your feelings and your worries as a patriot Srilankan, who is hardly trying to warn the people and the parties of SL if they allow the Srilankan military and SF to come to power in SL. But, that is exactly what; I want it to be happened in Sri Lanka though it seems to me to be highly impossible due to the current political atmosphere in the country. In short run, a change in Srilankan political power structure won’t benefit its minorities and the country itself, and it might even be harmful to some people in some ways. But in long run, a major change in the political power structure with SF as president will definitely benefit, not only the minorities of the country but all Srilankans one beautiful day.
Let’s wait and see…
Regards,
J. Shankar M.
To comments 79 & 81
I cannot understand how Malayalees came into the mess
that is Srilankan Politics & and a messy civil war brought on by silly ethnic prejudices. Any how snakes are far better creatures that you think. It is precisely this type of ethnic and racial stereotype thinking that has landed you folks in this morass or quagmire.Please leave us Malayalis out and do not be paranoid.
ReviUnni
DBSJ RESPONDS:
I endorse what Revi Unni says fully.The tendency to blame India particularly the Brahmins & Keralites/Malayalees of that country for Sri Lanka’s problems is absurd
Sterotyping a whole community.ethnicity & calling them all sorts of names is deplorable
In the case of Sarath Fonseka he belongs to the Karawe community on his fathers side and Salagama community on his mothers side but identifies as a Karawe (His GE name). Both these castes & the Durawe caste originated greatly from what is present day Kerala & parts of Tamil Nadu.Migration from India was from both the Coromandal & Malabar coasts
When Sarath Fonseka said that the majority Sinhala people owned Sri Lanka and other minorities were outsiders & could live here but make no demands it struck me as funny& ironic for someone whose ancestors came over from India a few generations ago to depict himself as a true son of the soil and say others have lesser rights.Some people from Ambalangoda told me that Sarath’s family came five or six generations ago from Kerala & settled there
That’s why I mentioned his “Kerala” ancestry.Simply to show how silly it was for him to claim ownership of Sri Lanka for the majority & deny rights to minorities
But some people have twisted that into a nasty attack on Malayalees on the whole. This should be condemned
What many Sinhala, Tamil & Muslim people dont realise is that a large number of their ancestors came from Kerala and there is a strong “Malayaalee” mixture in our culture. From the pattern of our houses to the cloth& redda dress to the old custom of Kondai/Kudumbi it’s all there. Our cooking is more akin to Malayalee way
Likewise there is a caste in Kerala called “Eelava”
So please stop bashing Brahmins & maligning Malayalees unfairly
NIce theory by DBSJ.
How about this?
This whloe thing with Sarath Fonseka is a smoke screen.
There is no comparison between the ret. General and the president. President is an accomplished politician while the general is merely a soldier. President will win a second term regadless of who the oppsition is.
But this new saga effectively dilute or erase the issues most of these key players were lately busy with in the international arena.
In my view this is another effective management by the team of heros.
My”theory”as you call it will come into “practice” this week I think……………DBSJ
very interesting.
*** 83 *** Don
Since you are shooting from the hip, could you please answer the following questions :
How do you justify Nazi gas chambers.
How do you explain Pearl Harbour.
What is your opinion on Jap Kamakazi attacks.
How do you explain occupation of Kuwait by Saddam.
What is your take on the gassing of Kurdish population.
How about deaths of thousands of Iraqi Shia Muslims.
Why didn’t Saddam cooperate during IAEA inspections.
Any idea about KSM civilian court trial in NY.
Do you know China does not have a blue water Navy yet.
I know you are a smart aleck. Your anti-western diatribe makes me wonder why you are living in the west instead of returning to your beloved mother Lanka. Opportunism. Enjoying the best of both worlds !
#84 Mahesh
Just look at what you have said:
“They have tried their citizens who have violated the laws.”
In Guantanamo Bay they have kept people without due legal process since 2002.
“They treat all their citizens equally. They didn’t bomb their own citizens.”
But they have absolutely no problem in going and bombing citizens of Iraq that did not do anything to them.
“They didn’t do ethnic cleansing against anybody, most importantly their ethnic minorities.
They didn’t colonize the land of their own minority people by settling the majorities.”
What do you think they have done in the last 200 years? Why are most of the Native Americans are in special reservations? What is the status of the Aborigines in Australia?
“They don’t block the food and essential commodities that are needed for the common man on the pretext of fighting terror.”
Why is that they have maintained a blockade against Cuba for the last 40 years?
“They don’t behave jingoistically.”
Who coined the terms “the axis of evil” and said “If you are not with us, you are against us”? And that is not behaving jingoistically?
“I salute Obama.”
He is the one who has continued attacks on civilians using unarmed drones in Pakistan. I guess when the West does things like that, you call that collateral damage. Obama calls Israel’s bombing of civilians of Lebanon and Gaza as justifiable defensive action.
So think before you write. I am not trying to say that GOSL is a bunch of saints. They are no better or worse than any of those in the West that are accusing them. To me that is plain hypocrisy.
My brother went to war and lost his left leg. He doesn’t get anything now. We all live in a small house. I am the only one have a job because I was against this money making war. I didn’t went to war when my brother wanted me to go when he had both legs. Big army shots are living in Colombo houses rented foe 12 million a year with their kids in America with millions of dollars in their US bank accounts. They earned money from every bullet. Their daughters marry big army shot’s’ sons with houses in America. They do not marry army boys with no money and no legs. Who say this guy got injured? Where are his wounds? My brother has no leg for his whole life.
All the credit should go to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for putting the right people for the right job. Sarath Fonseka did what was expected of him so was Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Thus, it is not proper for SF to solely praise himself for defeating the LTTE.
I have confidence MR will be able to satisfy the needs of most Tamils in Sri Lanka.
I personally prefer him to be elected as President for another term and that way he could bring peace and prosperity to the country.
Although it is the fact that lots of things went wrong during MR’s administration, but that was the only way to defeat the LTTE and bring a permanent solution for the Tamils.
6th generation Malayali Sarth Fonseka led the war against third generation Malayali Thiruvengadam Velupillai Pirabakaran. And we patriotic Srilankans lost our loved ones and peaceful life becuase of them.
Jestan Revi Unni Kuttan (#89)
Many Keralites of today are not aware of the Malayalee connection in Ceylon/Sri Lanka. There have been several ancient invasions from Chera land here to the extent the Sinhala word out of fear used today “Maara-keliya/vedai” (meaning terrible thing) comes from the barbarity of an Chera invader called Maran. In British times the people of Jaffna were referred to as those from Malabar – for good reason. The Jaffna strict caste system (where, inter alia, the lower caste is not allowed to draw water from the well) is akin to that of the high castes in Kerala – and so the “mundu” and other type of dressing as well as culinary habits. Many Tamil homes still have dishes reminiscent of “aviyal”
Spices such as Pepper, Chillies, Nutmeg/Mace found in abundance in Kerala are found here too. Until the 1950s there was a numerically strong Malayalee presence in the Western Province where most of the workers – in the Colombo Port, Railways,
Wellawatta Textile Mills, mercantile companies – were from Kerala and formed the vanguard of the nascent Trade Union movement then. By nature the Keralite is anti-establishment and iconoclastic (remember the pedagogue Dr. Abraham Kovoor) and so they supported the Left political parties here. In many of their homes they fearlessly hung a picture of the German Kaiser to show their opposition to the ruling British. Some of them even sported moustaches like Hitler. Many of our teachers here came from Kerala as well as Doctors, Engineers and other professionals. Toddy and Arrack renting – a lucrative trade – was partly in the hands of Malayalees here then. Some of them married here. Kerala names Kuruppu, Kannangara, Mathew, Thomas have all merged into the Lankan whole now. In fact our pseudo-nationalists Anagarika Dharmapala and thereafter AE Gunasinghe – both of whom started violent campaigns against the local Keralites – that culminated, in a way, with the Indian-Pakistanti Citizenship Act. As a result of which the Malayalee population of nearly 200,000 (in a total population of about 6 million around 1945) became less than about 50,000. It is believed many of the Cinnamon peelers of the Ambalangoda area and Coconut climbers (forefathers of arch Sinhala Buddhist “patriot” Cyril Mathew) were Malayalees from the lower castes. There are now moves to reverse the trend – as we now read. Prime Minister Mrs B was so scared of Kerala black-magic once UNP practical-jokers in Parliament spread the story that “Kochi thel (oil)” has been applied to seats in Parliament to ensure her defeat resulting in her asking the Parliament staff to wash/clean the place. Eventually, when she had unbearable arthritis in her legs (“vaadam” in Malayalam) at her later years she preferred to spend a fortnight in a Trivandrum Ayurveda Hospital although modern facilities in Yugoslovia, France and Britain were available to her. So, Jesta, don’t cut us off just like that – manasulayo?
ISS
Sarath Fonseka should patch up with MR and get the nomination to contest a UNP held seat in the Parliamentary elections that is going to be announced soon. He can then implement his good deeds whilst having proper security and accomodation that he reckons are lacking at the moment
This is the best way SF can help the Motherland that he cares about so dearly and help himself too.
Contesting for the Presidency with the Opposition backing will ruin his reputation as well as the few privileges that he have ,courtesy of the Rajapksas.Even his new found mates will avoid him like a plague.Even the Green card would not be of any use as the Tigers through their Western buddies will get him on human rights abuses.
The Sri Lankan seer of Scarborough has spoken!
We await your next divination DBSJ, on Mahina the machiavelli of Medamulana.
DBSJ RESPONDS:
Medamulana Machiavelli will unveil his intentions about a duel with fearless Fonseka at an auspicious time after Monday (23rd) midnight.Let us await that proclamation O’ Wickram. A.Singhe!
To all those who criticise MR and sympathise with SF
I would like to ask one question.
If the war against the LTTE had gone wrong, who would have got the blame. Answer is Mahinda Rajapakse.
Now, the war had been won and the LTTE eliminated,
who should get the credit. Answer is Mahinda Rajapakse.
I rest my case.
At the auspicious time Medamulana Moustache Machismo Tarzan Lord of the jungle will challenge Feisty Fonseka to climb a coconut tree.
•84. Mahesh
You as well as Ken Letcher(80) I have been appropriately responded to by Ranjan(87,93) from Toronto. I don’t need to go over the arguments again.
But I need to respond to 92. Nostradamus
I am not anti west but what I pointed out was there are greater crooks, war criminals & cold blooded murderers of civilians in the west and these people have never been prosecuted. They have been responsible for million more civilian deaths than MR,SF,GR. But Ken Letcher(80) only points out at SL. I am not a pal of GOSL or a defender of murderers but how come this selective finger pointing? Many Slankans think the west is beholden. What a lot of Bull! That is why I quoted a bit of history. I just get mad when people say we need to uphold human rights as in the west because these people have not cared to follow what is happening around them. The aborigines of Australia was on the land 50,000yrs back and today they live like dogs under the white mans rule. Their average life span is 49 years while that of an Aussie is 75 yrs. Their culture, tradition, language of thousands of years all lost. What the Tamils have lost in SL comparatively is a drop in the ocean! This is equal rights of the west!! I am not having best of the both worlds dear Nostradamus, because I work for the white man and give him more than money’s worth, through an education I gained in SL which the white man never spent a red cent but he has stood to gain. That is why I am a grateful son of SL.
I forgot to say, first he will apply grease on it.
92. Nostradamus:
What a ridiculous argument! So according to you, any Asian who gets the citizenship of the west may not criticize their policies– bloody hell!
To equate the thinking of Obama, Bush, Blare, Milband, Koucher with the general thinking of Americans, British and French is no less different from equating Mahinda, Ranil, CBK with the general thinking of Sinhalese and Mano, Daulas, Sampanthan with that of Tamil thinking.
Just because one criticizes the warped, biased, unjust policies of these politicians it doesn’t make him someone who hates those people. If you feel like ass kissing Obama, please be my guest but do spare us of your lectures on how he deserves the Nobel peace prize for promising to work towards world peace while MR, GR and SF should be taken to the guillotine for lopping VP’s head off!
Hi, DBSJ…
Excellent Analysis & article.
I fully agree with your comment below:
“Ideally this is a contest that should not have happened. A scenario where an ex-army commander contests the presidency against the incumbent president could trigger off a set of unexpected developments and unintended consequences.”
The real sad part is, that just as we were ending one dark era, something else (or possibly worse) is facing us.
I want to always stay positive and how we as a nation can capitalise on any of these situation to the greater development of th enation. I wish there was someone that could enlighten us on that.
I wish we could keep economic development away from this crap and make the best out of the country being in a time of peace. But unfortunately this is real life and not my dreamland…
The comment 29 & your response to it, is the funniest thing I heard today..
@ Comment No. # 97.
IIlaya Seran Senguttuvan (Pardon any type errors)
I do not feel Mr. Revi Unni denied any Malayalee connection with the Sri Lankan Scenario, we are discussing. He rightfully implied the arrogance with a few comments portrayed with quick digs like ‘Snake Bites’.
Labeling Malayalees as people who relish in schadenfreude is derogatory to our culture and i bet the house i live in that, we have never been so.
You are absolutely accurate, about the intertwined cultures we share. The ‘Aviyal’ or the ‘Mundu’ are the lasting impressions of the common live styles which we share, and i am sure these are only a few of the many that actually exist.
I thank you for your prompt and unadulterated reply. It was a pleasure to read the post and it certainly did a world of good to my understanding of the situation.
Though it feels great to go through your post again and again, i do feel contempt and moreover pity for a few childish posts in this very same comments column to which i believe DBSJ articulated his reply very well.
A few people tend to remain ignorant of the bigger picture, and promote, i do not know if i can use this term here, racism.
To conclude, let me just tell you on a lighter note that ‘Jestan’ and ‘kuttan’ never be used in the same sentence. Jestan means ‘big brother’ and kuttan is a word used to address someone fondly, who is younger mostly. That of course, was on a lighter note.
Cheers,
Rohit.
Dear DBSJ
Am honored by your detailed incisive reply.Incidentally the most powerful civil servants in India & the Hon Def minister in India are Malayalees. That by itself makes such allegations by ignorant fools baseless, does it not?
ReviUnni
Rajapaksa Vs Sarath Fonseka ? and or Ranil Wickremasinghe?.
It is official and is on 23 January 2010.Being a betting person I thought the odds are as follows .
Rajapaksa C$ 1.20 Ranil Wickremasinghe C$ 4.00 Sarath Fonseka C$ 12.00
Now that it is official, it is interesting to see who fronts up Ranil or Sarath?
TNA is already divided.Srikantha hugging MR at his b’day bash is encouraging. At east the indipendents have broken out of the LTTE lock up, enforced by Sampathan. Thus there is no guarantee that the Jaffna people will vote for the UNP en mass.
Sarath Fonseka will be pushing the …… up hill to get the Tamil votes in the North and the East, when the diaspora is hell bent on dragging him to the UN to try for mass murder.
According to the Tamilnet the GOSL has plans to get the LTTE cadres in SL to denounce the Tigers especially international LTTE on the hero’s day.I am sure this is an indication that the government is winning the hearts of the Tamil people who were affected by the last stages of the war and that is what matters most to Rakapaksa.
Most of them have voting rights and also they are the ones who provided the man power and cover for the Tigers.If these people are looked after well ,it will be the biggest barricade to prevent the resurgence of the LTTE. So these are real time positive developments for the peace and security of the country going forward.
With the promise of Rajapaksa to resettle all IDPs by January 1 2010, it is going to be a refugee free election.The positive reports from the UN Refugee chief and from the Indian Tamil Nadu MPs the Western Governmets have to acknowledge these outcomes despite the pressure from the LTTE sympathizers in the diaspora.
Now the president had announced the presidential election, there is no more room for speculation. I feel this is rather a quixotic act. It is obvious the president wanted to cash in the war victory two years before his term expires. That shows despite of pro government propaganda of “massive projects, massive developments”, he has no other cash in his pocket but it is empty though with over 105 ministers. Is this his four year achievement? Would not a section of the voters think his government is a failure except in one department for which they voted and now the job is finished and he should go?
Further his act of going to polls two years early alone shows that he expects hard times ahead beyond his capability and the voters to turn away from him. Instead of all these juggleries from the beginning, he should have gone for a general election as soon as he came to power to gain majority in the parliament. But he failed. That meant his team was not politically wise enough. An unstable government can push the country backward only not to any development. If that is so, leaving the war, has not he got anything to boast off? What did he do all these years?
Mahinda became the PM by playing his race card against Laxman Kadirgamar;
he became the President by transferring millions into the LTTE’s coffers;
he won the war by massacring thousands of innocent women, infirm, elderly and children.
Do you believe in Karma??
Congratulations Mr.Jeyaraj.
The information dept has officially announced that President Mahinda will have presidential elections first.
You were right on target
I seem to have ruffled some feelings of some malayalis with my snakebite comment. I sincerely apologise for that. It was just lighthearted banter and not meant to cause any hurt. My shitty sense of humour sometimes lands me in trouble.
Anyway there are only 3 races. The Caucasian, Mongoloid and Negroid. Others are all just ethnic groups that probably evolved due to linguistic reasons. So there is no big deal in these so called ‘race’ theories, but just because i don’t take it seriously, i sometimes forget others do. i know for a fact that the sikhs and irish ge mad at the jokes.
Anyway i prefer to live in Ireland.{there, i have done it again}
Decison to go for a Presidential Election is prompted by greed for power and political reasons, not for the good of the Nation. If given a mandate for 6 years, why wind up in 4 if everything is pleasant and idyllic as painted by the the Government.
Moreover the President should immeadiately step down and appoint an acting president in order to ensure a level playing field and prevent the misuse of Public Funds and Presidential Powers. International Monitors from the Commonwealth, US, EU and UN should be invited not only to monitor the elections but also the Pre-Election campaign to ensure that the democratic rights of all candidates are maintained.
# 102 Don
It makes me sad to learn a grateful son of SL being exploited by the white man.
May I suggest you stop sweating for the white man and start working for the brown men in SL who lavished all their wealth on your education.
Needless to say the brown man will give you a fair deal . No more pain and sorrow. Happiness, peace and prosperity will be with you all the rest of the days of your life.
Here is the bonus. In the brown man’s land you will find abundant freedom and you shall regain all the human rights you lost in the white man’s land.
All these time most ordinary people were in a dream that SF was a clean patriot. Now that illusion is cracked for ever and any intention to betray the nation at this juncture would be dealt with by public at the next pres. election. We will all go to the field to support MR and tell the people not to be duped by SF and is duped patriotism.
The money SF and his family gathered will be sprayed against the MR at the election, from whichever party he contest from, but we do not care. We need no military dictator in this country. If Ranil gives him the ticket, that will be the Ranil’s ticket to hell or if JVP gives the same for JVP.
What is unfolding, resembles the 1971 coup in Chile where president Allende was overthrown and assassinated by CIA lead Chilean military coup.
All reactionary forces in the internationally and locally, are looking at every possibility of defeating or assassinating MR, to make this their playground and backyard.
We intelligent people of Sri Lanka are aware what is being done in the background and underground. SF must be dreaming the throne to achieve the power now, after having gathered that massive and dirty money, by hood while hood winking the mass of this country portraying as the patriot who saved the motherland from LTTE blood devils, but we are aware that when the war started he was in a Hospital and when the war was at last phase, he was touring overseas depositing, examining and collecting his bank accounts and commissions, while poor soldiers were giving their lives to save the motherland.
It was none other than MR and GOTA who played the pivotal role of eliminating the LTTE menace from this land for ever. War was the best money making mine for a many in the past and its no more now, so we must be great full to MR who had the guts to take that decision which no other leader took so far, and the GOTA who well planned and conducted, and then the poor soldiers who gave their lives to end the LTTE menace from this land for ever.
The very dupes patriot SF is now shouting like a angered dog, but not as a hero, who is trying to claim the entire credit for the winning of war.
After having tasted the money, what SF needs now is the power to be enthroned for ever and establish his military regime.
We in Sri Lanka never needs a Military rule, nor we are ready to heed to any orders of SF. He may be thinking of US supported, CIA lead 1971 Chilean type plan here. Because his dream is to be the military dictator until his death and have one foot in Sri Lanka and other foot in Yankee land.
SF better go to Yankee land now or he needs to be sent to Un-derland if he is too much to this land.
SF, keep one thing in mind, you may be having so much money pocketed from shady, illegal deals and have support from US and CIA, but if you touch MR, be assure that Lasantha’s Ghost is still behind you.
The crime comes behind you like your own shadow.
We will do our best to protect MR, regardless of any shortcomings in his conduct which can be corrected democratically, but we do not want Military rule at all.
You better go to Yankee land, then live with that money and Sun-In-Law, extend your business to Iraq and Afghan war and make more money with Hillary-Obama-CIA company.
Patriotic people of Sri Lanka, rally around MR and protect him and motherland, if not the next era of nation betrayal will begin soon with SF-Ranil-Manogonason-Hakeem-JVP. North and East Sri Lanka will be EELAM and south will be the backyard of America.
The known Devil is always better than Unknown Angel!
A war cannot be possible without two parties and both parties collect weapons and ammunition or manufacture them. If one party is a terror group then the government side is always legitimate and what they buy is always supported with an end user certificate. What the terror group buys is always illegal and they do the purchasing secretly. Whatever it may be there have been reported cases of both sides buying from the same source and through the same agent. So the equation for calculating the agent’s profits from deaths is always produce the same result for both sides. It is always a win win situation for the agent.
However, the difference here is the apparent manipulation of the procedure to get the profits for one agent. There is a saying that it is no crime to take a handful of water from a flowing river without attempting to divert the river towards another direction. Wars are always flowing rivers of money and taking handfuls is never taken seriously. Yet What has been reported indicates an attempt to divert the river and that is very serious when the Commander of the legitimate Army is involved in diversion.
Rohit Revi (#106) Tku. Often one notices some bloggers here, in their enthusiasm, go off the mark which has to be treated as a form of occupational hazard. As to Jestan and Kuttan, I note your comments and agree. But then in the Kerala consciousness when
Unni comes in the word Kuttan immediately follows, as we even today fondly refer to the grand-children at home.
Re. Revi Unni’s additional comment (#107) I believe educated Lankans are aware of the wealth and contribution of the Keralites in Indian administrative, social, cultural and political life. It is known here due to his heavy leaning on Krishna, KPS and Luxmi Menons the opposition used to humourously deride Jawaharlal Nerhu as suffering from “Menon-gitis” in the post-1948 India. In more recent times Shiv Shankar Menon and thereafter Smt. Nirupama Rao-Menon, both of whom some of us were privileged to know closely, left a reservoir of hundreds of friends in Cbo during their tenure as successful High Commissioner’s here. The urbane Sashi Tharoor, whose looks would have earned him a place in Bollywood – in as much success as the high office he held as a super diplomat in the UN – has many friends here. When this versatile man – excellent writer and columnist as well – was returned by the politically savvy voters of Thiruvanandapuram as a Congress MP recently, we were certain he will be rewarded with a high office. He now makes a very articulate and high-profile State Minister of External Affairs. His many friends here are pleased the UNs loss in gaining a superb UNSG has become India’s fortune.
ISS
Gamini de Alwis (#96) Save your worry and possible sleepless nights. You don’t have to elevate both to verdant Kerala. Sarath F said he has Tamil ancestry – not Malayalee. VP too is more likely to be from Pandiya-Chola Nadu and unlikely to be Chera Nadu.
But then, when the Brits ruled Madras, Kerala, Mysore, Andhra all came under the Madras Presidency “for administrative convenience” – the same mess that landed all of us in this glorious soup we are in. Yet out there the inhabitants in the regions zealously protected their separate language and cultural identities – even till today in that beautiful thought “unity in diversity” of which we have much to learn and adopt from.
ISS.
Dear DBSJ
I would like to see you publishing an article on ‘DBSJ expectations from the Sri Lankan of the next decade’.
Cheers
Navidi
I would like to see you publishing an article on ‘DBSJ expectations from the Sri Lankan leader of the next decade’.
DBS article made very effective argument as to why Mahinda Rajapalsa must face a presidential election first.
Announcement of presidential election shows validity and credibility of the article.
Excellent analysis
feather in DBS cap.President election coming first as analysed and predicted by jeyaraj.Good show
To all Srilankans living in Srilanka
This is a special message for you.
From now till Jan 23 you will be seeing Mahinda, Mahinda and Mahinda only.
When you turn on the telly, whichever channel you choose it will be Mahinda. Mahinda at this development project, Mahinda at that development project, Mahinda carrying children up in the air, beaming at them, Mahinda at the vegetable stalls closely examining a carrot, Mahinda at the fish stalls, checking the fish for freshness, Mahinda playing football and dancing baratha natiyam, Mahinda worshipping at kovils, churches and Bhudhist temples.
When you go out there will be no respite. Mahinda will be beaming down on you, even to try to escape into a public toilet will be of no use.
You will become permanently impaired and psychologically damaged. Even in your dreams a heavily moustachioed face will be beaming down on you with a raised hand.
Now the best way to escape all this is to go to India and see the lenght and breadht of that country. Or give a call to some friends or relatives in the west and say”aney, we were wondering what has happenned to you all this time. We were worried that somehing must have happenned to you. In fact yesterday i was telling so and so that we must come and visit you if possible……….”
The sooner you vamooze the better for your mental health. Come back by Jan 23 to vote, if you are so inclined.
DBS got it right…PE is the first course.
Fonny has entered the race and the blood red comrades are backing the genaralissimo.
The next question is will Ronny manage to get on the ticket to make it a 3 cornered batlle? a double flanking attack for the presidency…..let the games and false promises begin.
115. Nostradamus:- Dear Friend, It appears when you cannot counter a good argument you go to personal slander. You are obviously hurt at my remark that there are greater war criminals and crooks in the west than in SL. Good luck to you Mr White supremist supporter. I am no longer interested in answering your sarcastic comments. I consider DBS’s blog as a valuable place for exchange of ideas. Those ideas may not be in line with what I believe but that is democracy and I do respect them. You have tainted the blog with your personal insults & ravings. I am very sorry but I have no alternative but to say it this way.
Hi Jeyaraj,
Another well written article.
“But Wickremasinghe despite exemplary personal credentials has been unfortunately undermined as a weakling,loser and traitor through sustained false propaganda”
I am not convinced with the above comment about RW Two points.
1.When RW signed MoU with tigers he must have done in good faith on face value, but as a leader he failed to understand the gravity of preserving the territorial integrity before signing like a typical public servant.
Also by-passed then President which was a void document.
2. After the victory his behaviour and comments in foreign countries disadvantaged SL financially. It was a crucial juncture to promote investment and economic upliftment of the people who were suffering after 30 yrs of war. RW’s action caused IMF to delay the funds and scared other investors.Then the President had no option but to borrow from HSBC at commercial rates to keep the cash flow as you have to maintain a whole public infrastructre and run the country.
Opposition leaders in other countries never behaved like that in democratic countries.
Due to above reasons many UNPers have written him off as a traitor. This perception had a fatal blow to UNP
which is a grand old party has become unelectable.
Disaster for democratic Sri Lanka if Sarath Fonseka comes to power
Greatest Show on Earth is Coming in Jan 2010
Venue Sri Lanka
What a nice deal for the top scum Ranil Wickramasinghe at the expense of General Fonseka. If I understood this right, General Fonseka is expected to act like the work horse to bring Ranil Wickramasinghe to power. Why can’t Ranil compete for the election and come to power from the front door, instead of using General Fonseka to come to power from the back door?
Regardless of Wickramadonkey the traitors shameless attempts to win an election through the back door, he will not get anything from Sri Lanka. It seems that SF has threats from every side. Sarath Manamendra who endorses SF as president, has been a man caught in connection to LTTE, in actions such as info providing, claymore transport and being a part of a team who posted claymores in public places. He has LTTE training.
SF, if chosen to contest as common candidate, will be running his campaign with this man as key alley.
If Sarath Fonseka to flush his green Card down the toilet, disclose his financial gain over the years outside his salary and benefits (sorry, commissions and gifts don’t count), sell his house in USA and donate that money to the Mahapola fund, layout his plan to eliminate corruption in Sri Lanka, I will openly campaign for him from whatever party he wants to run
The only hope during post war era Fonseka can bring is the Greed Card and US citizenship with a house in Oklahoma.
One more thing, Candidate Fonseka should make a promise that he will never appoint his children and relative to prominent positions in Sri Lanka. Otherwise ‘Fonseka Hope’ (copy cat of Obama’s Hope campaign message) is only for potential Sri Lankan immigrants to USA because it is the dream Fonseka is living in. There is nothing wrong with that if you are honest about it.
Someone seeking a foreign citizenship is to be loyal to the father country than the mother land. When you get your citizenship, you swear to the God that you will do anything to protect your father land. Therefore Fonseka Hope should represent something good for America, not for Sri Lanka.
Sarath Fonseka behind attacks on journalists?
With reference to the abduction and overnight torture of defence correspondent Keith Noyahr in May 2008, General Fonseka is quoted as saying that if the journalist “has not done anything wrong”, then “he does not have to live in fear”.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed at new reports that Sri Lankan Army Commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka continues to menace independent media by interfering with defence reporting in two major newspapers.
According to the five leading journalists’ organizations in Sri Lanka, including IFJ affiliates the Free Media Movement (FMM), the Sri Lankan Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), the Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU) as well as the Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum (SLMMF) and the Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA), Fonseka reportedly advised Lankadeepa staff journalist Indika Ramanayake that he would refuse to cooperate with the newspaper if two regular defence columns continued to be published.
Referring to a defence analysis by Duminda Sanjeewa in the Sunday Lankadeepa, and the Sinhala translation of a security situation column by defence writer Iqbal Athas, associate editor of the Sunday Times, Fonseka made the threat when Ramanayake contacted him to obtain defence-related information on August 5.
The five media organisations called Fonseka’s action as an “indirect intimidation aimed at media censorship,” the FMM reports.
On January 2 in an interview published in the state-controlled Sinhala daily Dinamina, Fonseka incited anti-media hate speech after labeling some sections of the media as “traitors” and the only obstacle hampering the military’s fight to defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
In the July 20 edition of the Sunday Observer newspaper and the Sinhala-language weekly Lakbima, Fonseka was reported as voicing antagonism towards defence reporters in Sri Lanka, suggesting a “blame the victim” attitude in relation to the spike of violence against journalists in 2008.
With reference to the abduction and overnight torture of defence correspondent Keith Noyahr in May 2008, General Fonseka is quoted as saying that if the journalist “has not done anything wrong”, then “he does not have to live in fear”.
“It is deplorable that high ranking Sri Lankan officials like Fonseka find it appropriate to use their positions to attempt to change editorial policy to shape the messages the media sends out,” the IFJ Asia-Pacific said.
“These threats simply undermine free and independent journalism at a time when the people of Sri Lanka desperately need it.”
The IFJ joins the FMM, SLWJA, FMETU, SLMMA and SLTMA in once again calling on the government to ensure the cessation of violence and intimidation against the media.
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
Sri Lanka must rebuild a new national identity. The old national identity based on ethnic groups has failed to create a healthy nation, and instead produced Prabhakarans and Wijeweeras. This is the hard reality and we must recognise it. Sri Lanka belongs to all: to Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Veddas, Kaffirs and others who inhabit our country. Instead of building a Sri Lankan national identity that transcends these ethnic and religious differences, Sinhala and Tamil politicians played ethnic and religious politics to remain in power and come into power. The era of ethnic entrepreneurs is over. No self respecting politician should today fight for the rights of any linguistic or religious group, but fight for all. Today, the challenge is to build a strong common Sri Lankan national identity. It cannot emerge naturally: it must be constructed by getting Sinhalese to learn Tamil, Tamils to learn Sinhalese, abandoning the idea of separate Sinhala and Tamil schools, and creating exchange programmes for Tamils children in the North to study in the South and Sinhala children to study in the East. Otherwise, the Sinhalese and the Tamils will grow up suspecting and hating their Sri Lankan brothers and sisters and continue to see the world in black and white. Building bridges between ethnic and religious communities should be spearheaded by the military and led by the war heroes who have the credibility to embark on an unprecedented program at an unprecedented scale to unite Sri Lanka. Permanent unity will come through engagement, friendship, and economic prosperity.]
Your Excellency’s
Obedient Servant
General
G S C FONSEKA RWP RSP VSV USP rcds psc
Chief of Defence Staff
What are those ABCs after his name? Are those his qualifications? Then I am going to vote for him. Isn’t more the better!
Wonder what MR has after his name!
The more the better!
I am going to vote for SF.
Fonseka sounds like Portugese ,to me more thn Malaylee or Kerala or even Sinhala.Coastal villages and towns were occupied or frequented by Europeans for nearly five hundred years.These were mainly single men who were away from their women for long periods.
If one considers the variation of the features and the skin colour of the Sinhalese,it is probablys due to the genetical infusions from the Euro invaders.On the other hand Tamil people are all dark skinned and have the same features , an indication of their isolation from the European s.
To assign the Malayalee or Kerala tags on the Sinhalese is is pulling a long bow.Sinhalese are a specific ethnic group originating from the Aboriginal people and later mixed with invaders from India and Europeans mainly the Portugese..
Your comments display your ignorance despite your pseudonym……..DBSJ
SF is holding certain cards close to his heart. He will put them on the table depending on how dirty the election campaign gets. These cards can cause major embarrassment. SF is biding his time currently. The country has not seen his goods and bads although we have seen that of MR and GR.
131. DeePee For your information, MR was a successful lawyer cum politician from the South. He was a fairly skilled lawyer but always had his sympathies with the common people. He is an excellent PR man. That is why he got so many countries to support SL and give financial aid. One quality SF lacks and of course many Army commanders lack. The qualifications after SF’s name are probably what he obtained after attending various military colleges like Sandhurst of UK and Fort Hood in US. Of course academics scoff at these qualifications.
Further to my comment in 124, i forgot to mention that a small girl singing how he saved the country will be replayed over and over again, driving you crazy until you want to take his shawl and strangle her.
Why are many LTTE organisations who were cursing SF now serenading his candidacy? Why is Mano Gonason seems to have pleased with SF’s candidacy?
We all know who MR, what he is capable of is and wide spread support he receive from other people including his close family members. We also know he is not clean as a whistle but got few skeletons in his cupboard. MR is not the best but he is the least worst. If I compare MR with RW; I will choose MR 110 times out of 100.
However, well known horse is safer than unknown mustang when stakes are high.
SF couldn’t have accomplished what he achieved in the war against terrorism without the political will of MR, nitty-gritty of GR’s coordination, and bravery of commandos and their senior officers. Therefore, it is not reasonable for one person to ask for full dividends
.I have a question for all patriots:
What SF really wants?
1. Is it to clean the country by eliminating corruption? Or;
2. Resettle all displaced people quickly and unite the country for development.
3. Vengeance and retribution exacted for himself by Rajapakse; or
4. Promote him to the centre of power to fulfill personal ambitions; or
5. Is there any other sinister things looming up which we are not aware?
6. Or all of above!
What he really wants?
Put you in his boots assuming you did your honest bit to serve the nation. Think that you are a famous and highly regarded soldier in Sri Lanka. Then think that you had to quit because you felt that the government mistreated you. What are the options you have.
(1)Retire like a hero and stay in minds and hearts of people til the time ends.
(2)You think that the direction government goes is dangerous to the very cause you almost gave your life. Therefore, you want to run a government of diehard patriots.
(3)You are pissed off with your boss for ill treatment and you want to settle the score even by joining the unpatriotic scum you fought so hard against.
I have my own answer, but I will let you find yours.
SF’s problems are:
“- back stabbing by UNP
- Skepticism from minority ppl in UNA
- His own mouth
- Corruption allegations
- Possibility of RW contesting even after SF accepting CC
- Major cross over from UNP/TNA to govt.”
This misses the #1 reason why people will not vote for SF: They just don’t like his abandoning the war-winning GOSL and joining KNOWN traitors! On this basis, the only alliance acceptable to most people is the JVP (M) link.
THAT IS WHY he will fail big-time!
I seriously do not think there is a way SF can win it. It will be MR in almost all probabilities, if not Mr it can only be RW. SF winning a 50%+ alone, is surely out of all odds for me. And on that grounds I call that he is used as a pawn and will be dumped.
Anyway, let’s consider the case of him winning.
As per official set program, SF is gonna be used to get power and get thrown out of it leaving power in RW hands.
Still, SF will be leading with RW etc as his allies. At that point it is a major power crisis, out of which SF can either rise into a dictator like Premadasa or worse, or get impeached and thrown into political dust bin.
Even if SF get RW/Mongy to accept his power as Exe Prez; he will be running the country with those traitors, fulfilling their demands.
So SF has four fates.
1. Loose and get dumped
2. Win and get dumped
3. Win and be a puppet
4. Win and be a dictator
Neither of these are good for our nation. Only in case 4 he would NOT be a pawn, and that is perhaps the worst case.
Did you notice that most NGO/HR have aligned with SF right now. It is a combined effort. SF will be everyone’s pawn until PE ends. A pawn in politics has a little life time. He’s called a pawn as nobody is genuinely supporting him. Only that he will be used and at the time of task completion he will be dumped.
Generally the third candidate in every Presidential Elections is a clown and ALWAYS A UNP a** licker at that time. .
1982 – Wijewira; 1988 – Ossi; 1994 – Hudson; 1999 – Nandana; 2005 – Siritunga
Who is responsible for the revival of the ugly racist extremists in this country. I point my finger at one man, Sarath Fonseka. How far can one man’s greed could take us?
There is an old saying called “Kanna oona unaama Kabaragoyath Thalagoyaa wenavaa”. It has lots of applications in many contemporary political contexts anyway.
A man called Prabakaran was ravaging our Motherland with untold terror. We were about to surrender to Prabakaran due to weak and poor leadership who was ever ready to dance for whims and fancies of western powers who wants to enslave us forever. A leader named Mahinda Rajapakse vanquished the terrorist and sent western apes back home. We started walking our heads up straight. Under the leadership of Mahinda Rajapakse, we learned that we have done things many others believed to be impossible. Once again, we have become an independent nation. Now that we have gained independence, it is the time to let Mahinda Rajapakse develop the nation.
Niwahal Sithuwili Sithana Sithak Udarai,
Niwal Nimawun Mawana Sithak Udarai,
Ewan Asirimath Jathiya Jayen Udarai!!!”
102 Don
Are you one of those who preach socialism in SL
and end up in a capitalist country and forgotten all what you have been saying that you stand for.
There are lot of people like that including some JVP members in Australia. If you are a socialist how come you are living in Australia, which is an ultra capitalist country ?. You should be in Cuba or some other so called socialist country.
Recently some of these JVP members had a meeting in Melbourne, and my information is that attendance was very low and in fact about fifteen people.
Now the war is over and SL is peaceful, you should seriously consider coming back here to build this country.
Cheers.
100 kaluyaka
I totally agree with you.
To comment 135 -Watugala
Your quote”(2)You think that the direction government goes is dangerous to the very cause you almost gave your life. Therefore, you want to run a government of diehard patriots.” unquote.
That is the reason he wants the job.
1. He wanted to increase the armed forces to 300000. Denied by the government.
2. Wanted to settle the armed forces permanently in the Wanni. Luke warm response by government.
3. Quoted famously that country belongs to sinhalese. So obviously unhappy about about governments intention of giving a political package to the tamils.
Under normal circumstances who cares about his views. He is just a government servant just like everybody else and has to do what the government says.
But what if he ceases to be a government servant altogether, then he can do something can’t he. Even if he cannot become the president he can still throw a spanner in the works.
This man’s mental stability is seriously questionable.
Dear Dbs,
Please without banning in western world, help from india,china, pakis and pribas stuburnness or madness. do you beleive sinhala brainy forces won this war. I dont thing so do you?
Mahinda Rajapaksa
There is now a political challenge before President Mahinda Rajapaksa which he cannot avoid by any means. The victorious war made President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Commander-in-Chief, a giant whilst all other political leaders in the arena were made political dwarfs. There was no strong candidate in the UNP or JVP who could contest against Mahinda with self confidence. Finally at the end of this difficult situation faced by them, they tried to gain victory by fielding one of the other two heroes created by war against the hero who was also created by the same war. Even though it can be construed as unfortunate to have two leaders who struggled for leadership and historical importance to fight each other, it may also be beneficial for the country. Now the fight is between the Commander-in-Chief and the Commander of the Army of the victorious war.
There is no ability for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to withdraw even by one step. He has to bravely face the challenge. There is no ability for the President to go for a parliamentary election in the face of this challenge. He has to hold a presidential election first. If not, people will believe that due to the fear of facing Sarath Fonseka, a presidential election is not to be held and instead a parliamentary election will be held. It will not be favourable for the honour of the President. The President should face a presidential election and negate the current state of confusion. If necessary, both elections could be held closely to each other which will reduce the expenditure to be incurred by the political parties for election purposes. By creating necessary conditions conducive for free and fair elections, an advancement of political morality could be expressed.
Mahinda Rajapaksa
There is now a political challenge before President Mahinda Rajapaksa which he cannot avoid by any means. The victorious war made President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Commander-in-Chief, a giant whilst all other political leaders in the arena were made political dwarfs. There was no strong candidate in the UNP or JVP who could contest against Mahinda with self confidence. Finally at the end of this difficult situation faced by them, they tried to gain victory by fielding one of the other two heroes created by war against the hero who was also created by the same war. Even though it can be construed as unfortunate to have two leaders who struggled for leadership and historical importance to fight each other, it may also be beneficial for the country. Now the fight is between the Commander-in-Chief and the Commander of the Army of the victorious war.
There is no ability for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to withdraw even by one step. He has to bravely face the challenge. There is no ability for the President to go for a parliamentary election in the face of this challenge. He has to hold a presidential election first. If not, people will believe that due to the fear of facing Sarath Fonseka, a presidential election is not to be held and instead a parliamentary election will be held. It will not be favourable for the honour of the President. The President should face a presidential election and negate the current state of confusion. If necessary, both elections could be held closely to each other which will reduce the expenditure to be incurred by the political parties for election purposes. By creating necessary conditions conducive for free and fair elections, an advancement of political morality could be expressed.
136. kaluyaka ,
Some scandinavian countries are socialist
————————
Now the war is over and SL is peaceful, you should seriously consider coming back here to build this country.
————————-
a very idiotic statement from an individual who lives in a fantasy land.
IF there is going to be any ‘rebuilding’ it will be done by foreigners.
As usual the simpletons praising the wrong people and reasons for the war ‘victory’.
The people you should thank are the nations like China who supplied latest technology and unlimited supply of weapons.
Thank karuna for leaving LTTE and revealing everything to the government.
Thank UNP for convincing Karuna to leave the LTTE.
Also thank the GOSL for using dirty tactics to finish the war i.e start shelling the civilians in the 10s of thousands to the point where everyone regardless of civilian or LTTE was dieing.
136. kaluyaka:- Friend, I do not want to talk about myself but in brief, I am a religious socialist just as much Christ was a leveller of men. Former JVP sympathiser. I have fought for equal rights in SL & west. I support the down trodden. Money does not attract me. I believe greed and ego drives us to forget our obligations to others. Many smart SL’s want to return from west but genuine obligations prevent them. I want to come back in few years. I may work in Tamil areas.
136. kaluyaka:- Friend, I do not want to talk about myself but in brief, I am a religious socialist just as much Christ was a leveller of men.
Religious socialism everywhere gives rise to extreme and violent impulses. it is another name for fascism. Sri Lanka under your fantasy would be a system crossed between the Taliban and the Khmer Rouge.
Your brand of ideology shares the same wellspring as the fanatical violence being perpetrated by ‘terrorists’ all over the Muslim world in the name of Allah.. The road to hell in every society is paved with mediocrities who fuse religion and political agitation.
Your attempt to equate yourself with Christ reveals the size and scale of YOUR ego and self-delusion.
As Nostradamus points out your obnoxious, hypocritical rants against working for the ‘whiteman’ reveals scale of your petty paranoid racist communal mindset, a sad and ironic characteristic of many older Sinhalese migrants. It is the first sign of an individual poorly adjusted to a new society.. looking for other suckers as grist to the grind…
135. Karunasena Watugala
Is it not good If LTTE organisations who were cursing SF join hands with him now leaving behind the enemity. This itself proves SF may bring both Tamils & Sinhales community together. Don’t you approve this?
145. RS Wickamasinghe.
Religious socialists sit in the middle of the spectrum that extends from religious fanatics at one end to ABCDs at the other extreme.
135 Karunasena Watugala
Your analysis is spot on buddy.
First time I saw your name on this blog. You should write more.
Cheers.
145. RS Wickamasinghe:- Mate, I am an old fart while you are a young cock. Doesn’t this really inflate your already inflated ego? What was the gist of my argument? You have forgotten that in your zeal to belittle me. If I think I am Christ what am I doing talking with a nut? Do you realise you twisted what I said in your warped mind? For your information Christ was arguably the first socialist. Was he a religious fanatic like Khmer Rouge or Taliban? You qualify to be sent up with your cousin in one of Shankar’s hot air balloons. I hope Shankar will oblige or I am willing to pay for the tickets!
To comment 146-Joseph
er, are you living in this world or after a bout of pol arrack, are you floating around in Wonderland, Disneyland or Fantasyland.
By killing prabha and his family, and the other top LTTE leaders, Mahinda, Gota and Sarath have put on themselves and their families a lifetime death warrant.
DBSJ, Just for fun can we do a poll here and compare after the final results. that will give you and us some indication of how right we are about the pulse of Sri Lanka.Christmas s around the corner and so is the new year. Hope we will all live to see a brighter tomorrow.
SF spent most of his life in the army following orders in early part of his life and then ordered others in latter part of his life, so it is for him to adapt to civil life again.
Simple Truth:
1). SF want to go higher and higher and now believes he is greater and popular than MR
2). RW needs to come to power and SF is the bridge(pawn)
3). JVP/Hakeem/Mangala want to get back the popularity and SF is the bridge(pawn)
4). LTTE needs revenge via Mano Gonason and SF is the bridge(pawn)
All of them knew this is a do or die situation for them. So they will find all possible money and kill someone and blame it on MR to win the election.
IF SF was not there it will be a natural death for all these. Now they have some hope (at least they believe) via SF immunization.
MR has not lost popularity bad as opposition try to project. Will Tamils vote for SF or MR?
One thing you can’t ignore is taking CBK back as Priminister (this may be the Mongala and teams’ long term plan) It will be a good fight. If SF lose…then it seems Opposition has opted for an assisted suicide than natural death.
SF winning a 50%+ alone, is surely out of all odds for me. And on that grounds I call that he is used as a pawn and will be dumped
This exactly what is going to happen. For his sake, let’s hope:
1) He still has his Green Card in valid status to flee to the USA
2) Danuna has stashed enough $$$Millions abroad for him to live in comfort (as in SL, he will be venerated as much as Don Juan was long ago)
Angulimal can become Ahinskas; Then we treat Ahinsaka as Ahinsaka.
Ahinsaka can become Angulimala. Then we treat Angulimala as Angulimala.
Every moment is a moment for us to prove ourselves,:are we Ahinsaka or Angulimalas?
Whatever we are we should accept the consequences of our behavior.
This goes for everybody including MR, SF, RW, Mano Gonason etc..
Sarath Fonseka’s request for five female soldiers to be kept in side the house for internal checks as funny and hilarious.
Sarath Fonseka has requested five female soldiers to conduct security checks on women who enter his rented house. However, this request has not been acceded as the reason looks funny. Those who enter his premises would be subjected to security checks at the entrance his house.
If any visitor arrives to meet the Sarath Fonseka, they would first meet the security at the gate, prove their identity for the security at the gate to check with Sarath Fonseka or his wife at the residence to admit them inside.
Comment #150,wishful thinking pal.I am sure Rajapaksas can look after themselves.
This is a good reason why the Tamils who have denounced their Srilankan citizenship should be screened before they travel to Srilanka.I am sorry this will affect a lot of good Tamils who sincerely want to help their poor brethren who lost thirty years of life to get back to normal.
But the Tigers in Western countries are still lurking ,waiting for opportunities to harm Srilanka.Thanks to India and other Asian countries who are facing similar threats from the Western pro Tiger lobby, will help Srilanka to keep these undesirables at bay.
135# To Mr Karunasena Watugala,
A good fantasy and a hypothesis but the chances of your predictions are grim.
Did you ever think on the 20th of May that the poker hand you had will be trumped? It has started to happen. Random events are so bizarre you never will understand. Who thought the invincible Premadasa will get invisible on the May the 1st or …….. The Solar Diety (aka Sun God aka Thambi aka Prabakaran aka Kotiya) would be dragged along the Nanthikadal Lagoon and massacred (This is going to be the biggest secret
a). For Tiger lovers / Tigers – it is a shame to admit that he was screwed so badly
b). For the government – A good observation of the Third Geneva Convention Part III (Article 17 – 108) will get the GSP+
The games are played according to the rules. Cricket is played with a bat, otherwise it is called Elle (එල්ලෙ). International players won’t mind playing Elle for some time but they expect you to play cricket on the long run. You can feed Than Shwe or Ahamadinijad or lick Hu Juntao but should not get farted by others.
Sri Lanka is so vulnerable that they can’t prevent the boat loads of people escaping this country. They also have to give back the off shore vessel they were lent. Anyone comes to power needs to be extreme fart resistant especially from the UK, US and EU or play by the rules.
Wickramabahu will be the good candidate
Ranil will be the safer candidate
Fonseka – like the Tyrannosaurus who was bought home from the Jurassic Park
Mahinda – Will open a couple of flyovers with Nike shoes, but is he any worthwhile to the masses in terms of their basic needs.
Prime minister – LOL
Finance Minister – LOL
Fisheries Minister – LOL
Tourism Minister – LOL
Defence Sec – Not bad, did his job
and lots of laugh.
Sri Lanka the blind nation and the one eyed rulez!!
You have forgotten that in your zeal to belittle me. If I think I am Christ what am I doing talking with a nut? Do you realise you twisted what I said in your warped mind? For your information Christ was arguably the first socialist.
This could be enough hot air for a fleet of shankar’s balloons. Maybe enough to run a few methane farms as well. The Whiteman is interested in renewable energy sources in Australia. Perhaps you can volunteer your mouth. It seems a bottomless pit of bullshit. Certainly I am need of some (fresh) air as I am gasping so hard from all the laughter.
First I thought, like Shankar you were another harmless if comic, pedantic uncle on this blog. Now I see your views are the product of a gullible peasant religious lunacy manipulated by lunatic political forces during the 1980′s to incite violence and terror.
Don
“You qualify to be sent up with your cousin in one of Shankar’s hot air balloons. I hope Shankar will oblige or I am willing to pay for the tickets”.
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It’s all free mate, on the house. To pack him off it is worthwile. Then we can happily get back to wikipedia.
Just a thought. It can be dangerous for someone else. Remember Vijaya drifted and landed in Srilanka. What if Wicks lands in a beautiful country with innocent people.
Shankar,
You prefer to live in Ireland where there are no snakes, but how come you live in Tamil Nadu which is a snake pit? Could it be you are a King Cobra?
135. Karunasena Watugala | November 24th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Why are many LTTE organisations who were cursing SF now serenading his candidacy? Why is Mano Gonason seems to have pleased with SF’s candidacy?
Mano has no bones and skin; He was behind LTTE for his own benefits; He is behind SF for the same; Like grass dancing along the breeze, these people will thrive always!
Just a thought. It can be dangerous for someone else. Remember Vijaya drifted and landed in Srilanka. What if Wicks lands in a beautiful country with innocent people.
Don’t worry Shankar, I’ll be safe. I’ll have a battalion of 700 battle-hardened soldiers….including a 4 bullet proof BMW’s and a couple of jeeps….
to comment 153-Antony Andradi
Sarath Fonseka’s request for five female soldiers to be kept in side the house for internal checks as funny and hilarious.
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What’s so hilarious about this. Do you know that Sinhabahu, the man with the lionlike claws and legs, had 47 children including Vijaya, by several women including his sister.
149 Don
Sorry my friend. Christ wasn’t the first socialist, but it was Lord Buddha who was the first socialist,environmantalist, humanitarian, animal rights activist etc.
Those who are following the Buddhism especially in SL are anti buddhist. These people give a bad name for Buddhism. It was a joke SF carrying a platter of flowers and worshiping Kelani Vihara. One can tell from his body language that his mind was not at what he was supposed to be doing. It was just a show.
Same with other SL politicians. Some of them set up plan to bump some one who does not agree with them, and at the exact time offering flowers at a big temple. Just because there are little Buddha replicas in every nook and corner of SL, that does not mean that SL society good buddhists.Corruption, killing, cut-throatism galore. There is a beautiful song by Freddie Silva to describe all this. Sorry I cannot remember the lyrics.
Cheers all.
149. Don, 157. shankar:
Perhaps you may not even need a balloon for his head itself is a like a balloon: swollen beyond limits and there seem to be nothing but hot air inside.
To comment 154-Kukul Charlie
Comment #150,wishful thinking pal.I am sure Rajapaksas can look after themselves
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I don’t wish them any harm mate. They did their duty by their country. But try telling that to the LTTE. The war is over, but the vendettas are not. That is the ground reality.
As for your contention of screening tamils coming into the country etc, etc, haven’t you heard of the enemy within.
Wicks
You are trying to find out where i live while i’am trying to find out where you live, but no success so far. Typical Srilankans aren’t we minding other people’s business and not our own.
Have you ever published any artilcle abt Nediyawan.. if so pls send me the link … thanks
and wicks
you are also tryin to find out whether i’am a old fart. sorry to dissapoint, but ask any woman her age and see.
This is the occupational hazards of being on the internet. You migh think you are communicating with a 13 year old but in reality it could be a 60 year old copper.
150. shankar |
For sure, not living in the world of terror land.
If I were to select the President from SF, RW and MR, there is no contest from either RW and SF Since
RW is a traitor.
SF has no any political experience. He needs to prove his mantle as a worthy politician coming through grass roots.
I would vote for MR this time and wait until middle of his next term.
MR was the brave fearless leader who was spearheading defeat of LTTE under extremely difficult circumstances including
• RW was doing everything possible to save LTTE.
• Somebody (who could have been even closer to the government) was doing brutal killings of editors etc, According to President’s word “hariyata mata gahawwa wage (This is an attack on myself not on anybody else). Somebody was trying to make life hard for the government and hoping for its fall.
• Western pressure,
• threat of defection of MPs to the other side which could have brought down the government. If that happened then there would have been no SRI LANKA .
• Indian pressure
• Trade Union pressure
• After playing a Houdini act with the International safety net created by RW that shackled the government and many other trickery situation
“I have never failed in my life.” – Sarath Fonseka This is very dangerous that he has failed to fail. Even Buddha failed in his journey of enlightenment. Then he gave up austerity then embarked on the path of middle.
What is NON NEGOTIABLE is Motherlanka’s sovereignty, territorial integrity & the UNITARY character of the nation. Everything else to me does not matter as those are the the paramount, driving forces.
As the Peter Drucker’s Peter Principles say, some do rise up to the limit of their capability and if you give them a greater challenge, then they will begin to crumble most likely.
In my view, this is exactly what happened with the Un-General.
He was a good TACTICIAN, but was totally lost in the world of CDS, where no he had to perform as the key STRATEGIST.
Seeing what a dismal performance he had since he was the CDS, I am seriously inclined to think he likely does not know the meaning of STRATEGIST, especially the role of a STRATEGIST in the post-war SL where one had to go for puts-and-takes and do things in the international arena (i.e. yes, no longer in the scorched, battlefield!)
So, in my view, this is a classic case of proven Peter Principle!!!
162. kaluyaka:- I thought you would say Buddha was the first socialist! Yes I agree you got a valid point. Then you say Buddhist especially in SL are anti Buddhist. I think this is because many Buddhist in SL are fairly poor and have many problems. Therefore they follow symbolic Buddhism (every religion in my view has the serious part and the symbolic part). Buddha I think defined 52 states of mind and concepts of Lobha, moha, thanha and annatta the egoless state was beyond the understanding of many people. I think therefore he preached the middle path which was easy to understand and follow. Fundamental to Buddha’s philosophy was the cultivation of ones mind and when one is hungry I cannot see how one can cultivate the mind. Sorry I got carried away because I got to go and see whether Shankar has strung up the young cock….
Mahinda or Sarath means Tamils and Muslims have no real choice
to comment Sammanmal Gunaratna
According to President’s word “hariyata mata gahawwa wage (This is an attack on myself not on anybody else).
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So if somebody hit him why has he not got hold of him and strung him up.
Personally I don’t like MR but I like SF. But I will not vote for SF but will vote for MR. Terrorism was defeated after 33 years. It is too risky to hand over the country to SF especially given that RW, Mangy, Chandrika. Mano G, Rauf Hakeem, Jayalath J, Ravi K, Luxman Kiriella et al (all traitors of the land) are behind SF. Yes MR is corrupt and filled with nepotism, yet, the country is too important to me more than anything else. I can’t leave the country in un safe hands. The country (territorial integrity and soverignty) is surely in the safe hands of MR and not SF. Also, MR has the biggest asset of Ghota, who is more brilliant thatn SF.
After so many turbulent and bloody years, what we need is some PEACE to prevail in the country. Now that the armed conflict is no more, what we need is some political stability to prevail, so that the slow journey towards some amount of prosperity can continue without much hindrance.
The last thing that we need now is a political turmoil, in which the politicians are preoccupied in safeguarding their positions and backstabbing their opponents and having no time to address the current burning issues of the country.
Frankly, I prefer to give MR a chance than to SF, as I see SF as a person lacking in principals and could get as low as RW to reach his selfish goals.
Further in this political world of dog-eat-dog, MR has a better chance of surviving than a political greenhorn like SF.
MR is no angle either, but how committed and determined he could be was amply shown, the way he conducted and concluded the war. It’s this energy and determination of his that I’m willing to bank on, for him to redirect this energy and to address the other social and economic issues of the country. MR is for me the lesser evil, so I’ll opt for him.
The General’s last minute decision to contest the Presidential Election is driven solely due to personal frustrations and clashes with the Rajapakshes. Surely not the best reasons for such a decision and not a qualification to hold that post. Besides, the folks that he has now joined with to achieve his goals, are fundamentally different than him. All of them might be prepared to shed their differences until January 23rd. but these differences are bound to surface immediately afterwards. SF can’t be that naive not to know that he is used as a pawn and he surely has his own plans to deal with them, if get elected. Many frictions are pre-programmed in this coalition and lots of sparks are bound to fly. And we the common man is going to get scorched.
And in meanwhile MR & Co will be cooking up their mischief to destabilise the SF+RW coalition and they too can get to very lows and we will be the eventual victims.
In my eyes, this boils down only to one thing: It’s we the voters who will be eventually the victims. All these years, the politicians have manipulated us voters and it’s happening again now. And once again we take sides to promote our favourites, showing them our unreserved blind loyalty. Most of us are either not aware or take it for granted, the damage this causes us – the poor voters.
I think this time we have to get smarter and manipulate the politicians to get our job done. Why not stick to MR and see how he performs in an environment free of an armed conflict. Let’s give him the chance and if he doesn’t perform to our expectations, let’s send him to oblivion at the next elections.
I just can’t get over the feeling that this depicts the drama of Karuna breaking away from VP. Although I can never compare SF a true patriot with Karuna and MR the politician with VP.
I wish all patriotic and uncorrupted men come together and put this country back in track where it should have been 30yrs ago.
What I don’t like about MR is that his tolerance of corrupt politicians in his cabinet especially like MErvin silva.
Tamil Nadu actor Seeman was handcuffed and brought to the detention center by the Canadian Police short while ago and is currently at the Immigration Center ready to be deported to India.
For the first time ever in the history, UNP is fielding a third party candidate for the leadership of the country. This is what Ranil Wickramasinghe achieved after many years of moral bankruptcy. Knowing that he stands no chance in the hell against the incumbent due to his pro terrorist and anti-SL stance, he tries to come to power through a back door. It is the time for patriotic Sri Lanakns to send this monkey to the oblivion. I hope that SF will directly or indirectly help the scum Ranil Wickramasinghe to come to power.
Mangala Samaraweera said that Sarath Fonseka is not suitable at least for Salvation Army. He pointed out that Sarath Fonseka was penalized on disciplinary grounds in 1975 when General Cyril Ranathunga was the Army Commander, challenging Fonseka to prove if this fact was wrong. Advising him to safeguard Army discipline, Samaraweera asked the Army Commander to appear on behalf of the Army personnel. He pointed out that the Army Commander had allocated for him at the cost of Rs. 45 million for a Benz car instead of providing facilities for the Army soldiers.
Apey Dayabara Ratna Bhumiyata Janma Bhumiyata, Deepthimath Anagathayak Labewa!
ORDINARY Sri lankans LIVING IN SL want their President to be
1. a TOTAL Sri lankan and not a PART TIME Sri lankan
2. a person who has a STAKE in Sri lanka’s future
3. have children in Sri lanka so that he will have a genuine need to better their welfare
4. have no home other than SL so that his future is tied to SL’s betterment.
This is why Somawansa Amarasinghe keeps away from mainstream politics although he is the leader of a party with 39 MPs in parliament.
A military head, a military state, by definition is flawed with respect to political leadership as history has shown time and time again. And we don’t have to dig too far for a textbook sample either.
US military leader George Marshall, Director of Army Operations during World War II and the initiator of the post-war European recovery program, the Marshall Plan. Though he was an Army Commander who battled in full, he also received the Nobel Prize for Peace. But he did not become a President of the United States. However, General Eisenhower did become the 34th President of the US at the end of the World War II where he was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces that brought about the end of the war. Then we must ask, how many Eisenhowers has the world brought forth? There are one too many Juntas and Musharrafs today.
IF SF is killed during the election process……
1. a massive public outcry against the govt
2. RW will become the (K)UNA candidate!!
3. RW will get sympathy votes
4. RW will get Tamil votes too that will not go to SF
5. RW will win the election!!
SF will certainly play the sympathy card VERY BADLY. govt will have to ensure there are no holes for SF and ALL his immediate family members.
What if the (K)UNA campaign claims an SF’s immediate family member gone missing????
Govt should be prepared to stop this type of BULLSH*T. It may be one of the plans of RW who is well known for EXTREME POWER HUNGER.
Sarath Fonseka had no bravery as most of the war planning and execution was done in his abscence. The suicide attack on him is orchastrated by the cook he personally picked up, and he has to share some responsibility. Also it happened at the entrance to Army HQ which was under his direct control. He could not assure the safety of his chief of staff Parami Kulathunge. The money SF and his family gathered will be sprayed against the MR at the election, from whichever party he contest from, but we do not care. We need no military dictator in this country. If Ranil gives him the ticket, that will be the Ranil’s ticket to hell or if JVP gives the same for JVP.
SF must be dreaming the throne to achieve the power now, after having gathered that massive and dirty money, by hood while hood winking the mass of this country portraying as the patriot who saved the motherland from LTTE blood devils, but we are aware that when the war started he was in a Hospital and when the war was at last phase, he was touring overseas depositing, examining and collecting his bank accounts and commissions, while poor soldiers were giving their lives to save the motherland. SF, keep one thing in mind, you may be having so much money pocketed from shady, illegal deals and have support from US and CIA, but if you touch MR, be assure that Lasantha’s Ghost is still behind you. The crime comes behind you like your own shadow.
What happened at Vadamarachchi under General Kobbekaduwe?. Kobbekaduw did not have 200,000 men at his command. If JR did not buckle, SF would not have had a war to fight. It is the President and the government who won the war for all of us.
Sri Lanka is emerging from the shadow of a terrorist war that affected every part of our lives for decades. During those years, a deep-seated sense of uncertainty affected our prosperity, our economy, and even our social and cultural values. There was an inescapable veil of fear cast over our day-to-day lives. Following the defeat of the LTTE and the elimination of its core leadership during our historic military success earlier this year, this sense of unease and this veil of fear have finally begun to lift.
With the dawning of peace, Sri Lanka has a historic opportunity to consolidate the security of the nation; to heal old wounds and strengthen ties between the communities; and to revive our economy and recapture the decades of lost opportunity. When we reflect on the years that terrorism plagued our nation, it’s important to realise that the true victory is not just in defeating the LTTE, but in regaining what we have lost, passing down the benefit of peace to all our citizens, and guiding our nation to its proper place in the world. Instead of falling into the traps of complacency, petty rivalry, and divisive politics that have so often been our downfall, we must unite as a nation and build a better future together. It is only then that the true reward of our victory over terrorism will be fully realised.
We have several challenges ahead of us today. We need to ensure that our country is secure from all future threats. Consolidating the peace that was achieved after so much sacrifice has to be a key priority. Similarly, we must use the window of opportunity granted by the end of terrorism to ensure reconciliation between our communities. Together with these goals, we must also engineer an economic revival that uplifts the standard of living of all our people. These challenges of security, reconciliation and development must be our focus from now on.
Although the LTTE has been defeated, it is important to note that it is mainly the military wing that has been dismantled. Their vast international network of sympathisers and criminal associates who funded and facilitated their separatist ambitions, as well as some of their military cadres, are still operating outside Sri Lanka. It is only when these elements have also been defeated that we can claim to have truly secured our nation. To prevent the LTTE raising its head again, we should act now and act decisively to bring about their defeat.
Bringing about the permanent defeat of separatism remains a top priority of His Excellency the President and the Government of Sri Lanka. Several initiatives have been taken in this regard. These include the strengthening of relationships with key foreign nations and the collaboration of our intelligence services with their counterparts in other parts of the world. These efforts enabled us to capture Kumaran Pathmanadan, the newly appointed leader of the LTTE, within two months of the defeat of the terrorists in Sri Lanka. We need to continue these initiatives if we are to destroy the LTTE’s international network and ensure the confiscation of their assets.
From the very beginning, strengthening relationships with our key allies remained a top priority of His Excellency the President. The relationship developed over the past four years with our closest ally, India helped us in many ways in our war against terrorism. Having their support greatly helped reduce the pressure mounted by other nations, which allowed us to proceed with our humanitarian operations unhindered. It is very important that we strengthen this key relationship even further in the years to come.
Significant support was also received from other key allies due to the efforts of His Excellency the President and the Government to strengthen our longstanding bilateral ties. They, too, helped us withstand the pressure being directed by the international community to leave the war unfinished. These countries also provided us vital material assistance towards the war effort, when barriers were put in place that prevented our obtaining military hardware from our western allies.
Although it had been virtually ignored in the past, South East Asia was another region we focused on. The close ties we developed with this important region helped us counter and obstuct the LTTE’s activities there. However, there is still a lot more to be done, and developing these relationships even further will be vital to our efforts to permanently dismantle the LTTE’s international network.
If this task is to be achieved successfully, we also need to focus on countering the propaganda offensives still being launched by LTTE sympathisers around the world. This propaganda effort, together with the petty electoral politics of key western states, has distorted the view some counties have of our war against terrorism. It is essential that the west understands that Sri Lanka’s war against terrorism is little different from theirs; the LTTE used many of the same networks as other international terrorist groups; they perfected the use of suicide attacks as a tactical tool; they operated extortion networks in other nations to fund their separatist ambitions. When taken together with their complete disregard for the lives of innocent civilians, it should be clear that there is little philosophical difference between terrorist groups the world over. Instead of accepting the propaganda offensive of terrorist sympathisers in their corridors of power, the countries that are still mounting pressure on Sri Lanka should understand that we all face similar challenges. Instead of criticizing our success, they should learn from it.
Strengthening our relationships with these countries and countering the efforts of the pro-terrorist lobbies there, is a significant challenge facing our nation today. This financial network of the LTTE was allowed to operate in some of these countries for far too long, and the funds they raised allowed the terrorists to equip themselves with large stockpiles of sophisticated weaponry-stockpiles that are still being discovered in clearing operations today. Although the government will make sure that the LTTE cannot raise its head again in Sri Lankathe continued existence of these financial networks is a danger to our country. Persuading western countries that they must help Sri Lanka more meaningfully to combat this threat requires us to unite as a nation and speak with one voice, instead of being weakened and divided by petty considerations.
In addition to taking care of the external threats that could arise from the LTTE’s international network, the challenge of ensuring our security includes our taking preventative measures within Sri Lanka. The capabilities of our Defence Forces need to be further strengthened by maintaining high standards of professionalism and sophistication so that our service personnel can carry out their duties even more effectively. The surveillance and rapid response capabilities of the Sri Lanka Navy have to be enhanced to protect our entire coastline and make sure that no arms or personnel can infiltrate our territory. A key area that needed attention during the course of our operations, our intelligence services, needs to be further strengthened as we seek out and dismantle the LTTE’s network within Sri Lanka. It is also very important that the terrorist cadres who surrendered or were detained are rehabilitated so that their thinking changes and they see the propaganda they were fed by the LTTE for the lies they were. This rehabilitation will allow them to re-enter society as productive citizens in the long term.
Finally, we need to make sure that the unsafe areas in the North are cleared swiftly, and that the former victims of the LTTE’s regime are resettled in their villages as soon as possible. Once normalcy returns, and these people see the far higher quality of life and opportunities available to them following the LTTE’s defeat, we will be able to win their hearts and minds. This is a critical challenge that needs to be successfully met if we are to fully secure the peace we have won. Reconciliation between the communities is vital, as is the establishment of a democratic framework and institutions in those areas formerly under the LTTE’s occupation.
There is a lot of agitation in the international community as well as within Sri Lanka regarding the situation of the internally displaced. This range from well-meaning concern to absurd conspiracy theories directed against the Government by pro-LTTE lobbyists in the west. However, it would be an irresponsible act to resettle the IDPs in unsafe areas. When the LTTE defeated, they strewed landmines over vast areas, hoping to make them unsafe for years if not decades. Through the concentrated effort of the Government together with assistance from allied nations, these areas can be de-mined and made safe for people much sooner than that. As more areas are cleared, the displaced will be resettled in their towns and villages; already almost half the IDPs have been sent back.
There are other responsibilities of the Government involved here, apart from mine clearing and resettlement. During the last three decades, although the Government continued to provide normal services including electricity, water, health and education to the North, there was not enough development there. The LTTE did not use these resources properly, and the Non Governmental Organisations that were supposed to be engaged in development work were ineffective. As a result, the infrastructure of this region, including its road networks, electricity grids, telecommunication networks, irrigation channels etc. are underdeveloped. A lot of attention needs to be paid to upgrading this infrastructure if the region is to prosper. Agriculture, which has been ignored for so long despite its high potential, is another area that needs a great deal of work. Therefore, together with our demining programmes, these efforts to develop infrastructure, facilitate economic growth and raise the standard of living in this region are of the utmost importance.
There is another pressing requirement that needs to be discussed as far as the liberated areas are concerned, and that is the return of democracy. Under the LTTE’s occupation, the people in these areas lived under a brutal fascist dictatorship. Their lives were not their own. They had no freedom. Their children — often as young as thirteen or fourteen — were abducted from their classrooms, conscripted as soldiers, and robbed of their innocence. No one had the ability to protest. The people could not speak freely, and they had no one to speak up on their behalf. Over the years, most of the moderate Tamil voices, most of the progressives and the humanists, had been silenced by the LTTE. The parallel state that it tried so hard to display, with its so-called judicial system and its so-called police force, was an illusion designed to hide the brutality of their de facto rule. To usher the victims of the LTTE to a true democracy is another critical challenge for the Government today. Facing it successfully will be essential as far as both reconciliation and national security are concerned.
Some of those looking at the present situation in Sri Lanka are quick to criticize the Government for not acting quickly enough. They expect change to happen overnight, and they ignore the hard facts of reality that have always shown us that true change is only possible with wise planning, diligence, hard work, and time.
A good example of what is possible is the Eastern Province. At that time it was liberated, despite the clear intention of the Government to return it to normalcy as soon as possible, there were complaints by the diaspora and the international community that not enough was being done soon enough. There were over a hundred and fifty thousand internally displaced people waiting to be resettled. There were armed paramilitary groups on the streets and there was talk of children being conscripted by them. There were complaints regarding restrictions on fishing, and complaints about restrictions on movement. There were allegations of abductions and human rights violations. There was criticism saying there weren’t enough policemen who could speak Tamil in the region. All this was just two years ago. But if you go to the Eastern Province today, as thousands of local and foreign tourists do on a daily basis, you will see that each and every one of these problems have been overcome.
All the paramilitary groups carrying weapons have been disarmed; they no longer have military offices in the towns or armed personnel on the streets. Instead, encouraged by His Excellency the President’s determination to restore democracy as soon as possible, they are working towards a better tomorrow through peaceful, democratic means. Their military offices have become political offices; several former cadres are representatives of various local political organisations; and there is representation through the offices of the Chief Minister, the Provincial Council, Local Government and Municipal authorities. The child conscripts have been handed over to UNICEF and are now being rehabilitated. There are no more complaints of abductions or human rights violations; the Sri Lanka Police and the Defence Forces have restored law and order. Tamil speaking policemen have been recruited, trained, and are now active in the police stations. Freedom of movement has been established; people go about their day-to-day lives without fear. Even the security checkpoints and roadblocks have been reduced to a minimal level.
In addition to overcoming the problems that existed, the Government has worked very hard to bring about economic development in the East. The infrastructure has improved tremendously: there are brand new roads, bridges and communication networks; there is proper electricity, water supply, drainage and sewerage. The Government has helped the fisheries industry, even assisting the fishermen to buy boats; it has launched important initiatives to develop agriculture. Very recently, His Excellency the President opened a large school in Vakarai, built with the help of UNICEF. Normalisation has not only set in but the Eastern Province has transformed into a vibrant part of Sri Lanka rich with the promise of future growth. All of this was achieved in just two years. That is the track record of our Government, and examining this, instead of engaging in wild speculation should be the order of the day.
The same result can be obtained in the North, and that reconciliation and national unity will be achieved in due course. Admittedly, there is still a lot that needs to be done to heal the wounds of the past and regain the trust that has been shaken, and we are aware that progress will not always be smooth. But we can be encouraged by the progress made in terms of national reconciliation in the South over the last several years; particularly in the Western Province and in Colombo, which is a shining example of communal harmony.
Despite all the propaganda to the contrary by the LTTE and the separatist forces, the majority of Tamils in Sri Lanka live outside the North and East. Colombo is a thriving multicultural commercial hub where all the communities live in harmony; it has a large Tamil population that has produced many of Sri Lanka’s leading professionals and businessmen. They lead lives of distinction in a supportive multicultural environment where there is no communal tension. We are very confident that this multicultural harmony can be achieved throughout all of Sri Lanka. As our nation emerges from the shadow of terrorism into the bright light of peace and prosperity, this is the reality that will prevail.
Another very important step remains to be taken as we embark on this journey. That is the revival of our economy on a scale that enables our prosperity through rapid growth and development; a resurgence that uplifts the standards of living of each and every Sri Lankan. It is vital that the rural masses as well as the urban populace reap the full benefit of the pence we have achieved; economic development must reach every city, town and village. The Government is doing its part by developing the infrastructure and the facilities that are needed for this resurgence to take place. It is also investing in areas where the private sector has not yet ventured. The domestic private sector, from small businesses and entrepreneurs to large diversified groups, must invest in all sectors of our economy. The recent instruction of His Excellency the President for the State Banks to lower interest rates is another step towards encouraging investment and facilitating this revival. We also need to invite the tourists back and bring in foreign investment. We need our educated expatriates, who left Sri Lanka years ago to seek prosperity elsewhere, to return and work for the betterment of their motherland.
For these things to happen, it is essential that we all unite at this pivotal stage in our history, and speak with one voice to say that the uncertainty is no more; to say that we are safe; to say that we are ready to create a bright and prosperous future for all our people, irrespective of race, religion or politics. The true victory against terrorism is not just the defeat of the LTTE, but reaping the true rewards of peace by recapturing what was lost during the conflict. Making maximum use of peace to unite as a nation, to bring about the development and prosperity that this country richly deserves, and to reap the rewards of peace, is the responsibility of all our citizens.
I am surprised about the allegations that SF is corrupt. I thought he was 100% honest. I do not believe he is corrupt, and I hope and pray I am right. One thing I know of MR and his gang are not honest – all corrupt. Rember Rs 80 million scandel at Save Hambantota (tsunami scandel). MR has no vision. He is building a port and airport in Hambantota which projects will become White Elephants as no one can use them in such far away places. This is a grave wastage of public funds; as this man has no vision. I have heard MR drinks and indulge in infedelity (Anarkali, Sangeetha etc). We do not want a leader like that. SF from top to bottom is a true blue Leader.
182 Suvendrini
Aney nangi boru kiyanna epa.
How can you say that our leader is an alcoholic and committing adultry. He must be drinking a lot of water.
Just because you have the freedom of expression on this blog, please do not try to sling mud at our Maha Rajano.
Regarding the harbour and airport in Humbantota, people should understand that down south was neglected for a long time. I think it is a great idea to build the harbour and the airport, which will ease the congestion in Colombo. My only concern is whether
there will be any impact on the wild life around Humbantota with the noise pollution from the big
jumbo jets that will be landing. I hope that there was a study done on that subject and the impact is minimum.
SF should have kept his respect and enjoyed his retirement
without getting into the dirty game of politics in SL.
Only time will tell what his future is, but one doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to say that his future is doomed. I really feel sorry for him,. SF was only a member of a team who destroyed the LTTE. The team leader was none other than MR.
Within one year’s time SF will be in the political oblivion.
People will ask Sarath who ?.
Knowingly SF created the situation of two resignation letters. It was deliberately done to send a message. A message to UNP and JVP (by this time UNP and JVP came to the situation that they could not let the SF tiger tail go. If they did then the election would have become a cake walk for MR.) SF waited until this moment. Then he ignored UNP request not to submit the resignation letter until the presidential election is announced. Knowingly very well that JVP and UNP are helpless he did that.
What was the message? The message to the UNP and JVP was “now you are under my control?’
What is the message to the people? For UNP voter the message is “I am UNP. Vote for me.”
To JVP voter the message is “I am JVP. Vote for me.
For SLFP (MR voter) the message is ” I am independent. I am not like these Mangala, Ranil or Mano Ganeshan etc. Vote for me”
The fact of the matter is he is nothing but ego. He is not trying to service people. He is trying to service his ego.
His despotic way is betrayed by his letter to the military personnel, refusing to hand over the vehicles, Ambalangoda security arrangements.
Even though I doubt the rumours of corrupt deals may be true. If not for what reason then a ship of military material has been brought to Sri Lanka after the war. If Sri Lanka needs any weapons LTTE had already provided them.
Why take chances? These details may come out in the near future. Then please think about it. I just want to put out my point of view.
His problem with Navy Commander Karannagoda was related to a school matter For that he did not cooperate with Karannagoda in the war? What kind of Army Commander we had. Just look at Sararth Fonseka’s recent comments
“Keith Noir does not have to be afraid if he has done nothing wrong.” This is despotic. “Sri Lanka belongs to Sinhalese only like Germany belongs to Pure Germans only”
#182 Suvendrini,
MR can be accused of many things but audultry is not one of them. As for the harbour at Hambanthota, it makes perfect sense. I understand that It is to be used mainly as a transhipment port. The airport, I don’t know how useful it will be, but it could be a great asset to develop the tourism in that area given the poroximity to the southern beaches. Only question is that do you want miles and miles of hotels on the beaches in that area?
SF, is being screwed by Ranil and the JVP, and if he can not see through that, he is a bigger fool that I thought. Or he has an ego the size of Sigiriya rock! Neither quality that I would like to have in a leader of a country. Even if he wins the election, with out a structure of his own political party, he will either be a total puppet in the hands of UNP/JVP or he will be so ineffective. This is not like running the army that you can give an order and they will jump up and say “yes sir’ and do it. Running a country is much different. Good examples are the two neighbours to the north of Sri Lanka. India, with its vibrant democracy is thriving and Pakistan having run by generals for most of its existnace is almost bankrupt and on the verge of disintegration.
DBS,
This is off topic, but someone has tried to set fire to the Scarborough Buddhist temple again last night. Fortunately the TFD managed to extinguish it before any damage could occur.
Given the significance of the date, it appears that some in the Diaspora still has all kinds of warped ideas in their heads. Most Tamil shops in Toronto are closed today and I hear that many are waiting for Prabakaran to make his much awaited appearnce. What bunch of fools.
#182 Suvendrini
He is building a port and airport in Hambantota which projects will become White Elephants
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or Yellow Panda’s.
#185 Ranjan
MR can be accused of many things but audultry is not one of them
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He is just a connoisseur of beautiful works of art.
Looking at General Fonseka standing shoulder to shoulder with Ranil makes me believe that he would have done a deal with Prabakaran too,if Praba hung around long enough.Such is the hatred of this old soldier towards Rajapaksas.
The intelligence wing of the LTTE looks not that intelligent.except the intelligence they gathered to kill good people like Kadiragamar.If VP made a tactical withdrawal when the odds were against him.he could have made a come back and achieved at least some of his goals.
Nice try Suvendrini.
If he can score a hit at his age good luck to him.Having a drink is good for you ,specially the reds and I am sure Raja can afford the best Reds from Australia Italy and France.
Leaders you idolize in the West are well know for womanizing and boozing.I am glad that our leaders are not only capable of sticking it up to them in politics but also can match with social antics.
Good on you RajapaksaKkeep going doing your good work now that you have liberated the country
#182 Suvendrini
Airports
US- 15095
India-349
Pakistan-145
Malaysia-118
SriLanka-18
Out of the 18 only 5 are civil. The rest are all military.
“Chee, mey mokadda ochara fuss ekak eka airport ekata”.
dear jey,
i think i unexpectedly triggerred a debate about malayalis by asking you to clarify whether sf was the one you were mentioning about.originally if i remember this topic cropped up months ago becoz of a an old woman claiming that velupillai was her uncle who migrated to srilanka from kollam.that old lady used to make news now no longer here in tamilnadu.if i remember you also clarified that vellupillai name is widely used in jaffna becos of kandaswamy kalacharam prevalent in that area.i would like to share some thoughts about malayalis with whom i have worked and still working.my officers and managers many are malayalis individually they are very nice cultured and i would go further in saying that syrian catholics are one of the finest people who are very catholic in outlook.but what is really consterning is the fact that they are very aggressive and clannish.when it comes to water as noted malayali writer paul zachariah said 80% of river water flows to arabian sea and kerala farmers are insignificant producers of rice and they depend on tamil nadu for vegetables,rice,etc still they hang on to this mullai periyar dam as if they are going to use that water for agricultural purpose.malayalis have this paranoia akin to sinhalese that they are numerically insignificant hence follow andy groves book name only paranoid survive.some gentleman commented that vp was a third generation malayali.it is being peddled by some in india and if i remember correctly i read a srilankan official saying that vellupillai father of prabakaran was from malaysia lol i dont think velupillai is from malayalam world or malaysia.if i am right he has got a maravar caste heritage i know a friend who was an official in a university who told me that velupillai remarked that he was a maravar caste.to an extent this can be confirmed becoz kumaran pathmanathan who is related to vp hailed from a place called myliddy which was populated by maravar chieftains.in tamilnadu there was a campaign during the last war that malayalis are responsible becoz mk narayanan,shiv shankar menon were at the helm of the affairs at that time and icing was vijay nambiar un representative and his brother sathis nambiar was a defence consultant to srilankan government happen to be malayalees.lol .i would say it was more a coincidence rather than a design.jey can u explain why sinhalese politicians are so fond of hindu temples and do also sort of yagams rw visiting thrissur,one mr.natesan son in law of mr cousin george rajapakshe doing rounds in rameswaram and thiruchendur i dont understand what type of buddhism these guys are following if buddha knows what these guys are doing he will turn up in his grave after all buddhism was an anti dote to brahminism.pls clarify
Dear Suvendrini,
Sinhalese are fun loving creatures who love a drink and a bit of flirting.This is part of their culture.Unlike the Tamil brethren,Sinhalese know how to enjoy life.You know yourself how many dinner dances are organzsed bySrilankans in Australia.UK,and also Canada to some extent.These are mainly attended by Sinhalese and Burghers,whilst the Tamils are worrying about homelands.
Most young Tamil girls in the diaspora prefer non Tamil boy friends.Your sheltered life styles must be the reason for this.
As for the honesty aspect,look at the plight of Rajaratnam.If a person worth several Billion Green Backs has been doing dodgy deals people who earn only Srilankan Bucks can be excused for a few misdeeds.
RE comment 186
Samuel Becket’s newest play opened in Scarborough on November 27th.
It’s called “Waiting for the Sun Godot”
DBSJ
Is there a smoke coming out that Douglas is trying to get off the horse in the merrygoround?
Is there a possibility that the cheena patas is not going to be a damp squib after all? He seems to be gathering momentum and is considered honest, but a womaniser.
Some are predicting a close contest. What do you think? People seem to be fed up with the COL,corruption, nepotism and law and order situation.
Let’s wait until nomination day&the campaign gets underway before assessing……………….DBSJ
Very good article.Learnt a lot
Dear DBS
Are you making lots of money from the blog, I dont think so. In what way can we help you?
James Raymond…
Bravo! Finally someone with brains!…
My namesake Mangala Samaraweera is always correct in backing the winner. He has lots of support from youths
Mangala Premaratne (#198)….. Mangala S is one of the smartest politicians around. Even on the ethnic issue, he is above prejudice and can help usher in a settlement. Tamils will trust him. He has an awful weakness to spend extravagantly on public expense – something that can be rid of once normal rules of governance are brought back. He is a born political “fixer” and has the consideration of the diplomatic community and many overseas donors. He helped CBK come in 1994 and repeated this with Mahinda’s victory. It is he who ensured LTTE to prevail on the Tamils from voting in the last Presidential Elections and thus prevented 500,000- 800,000 Tamil votes going to Rani. This enabled Mahinda to win narrowly by 100,000+ votes. The LTTE, as usual, threatened the Tamils with death if they vote. It shocking to see some Tamils still singing the praises of this monster and his mafia still. They will do well to vote for SF this time at least as thanks to helping them escape the hell on earth their Mahaveerar kept them chained in. Mangala calculates although Sarath F’s idiotic remarks hurt the minorities, the cumulative public dislike of the Rajapakses is so deep today and their kleptocracy so open and widespread, the same minorities will take a chance with the General. The minority votes of nearly 2 million with at least 50% of the entrenched anti-UNP Sinhala votes plus the entire UNP vote bank plus over half a million of the JVP vote bank can wipe out the Rajapakses from the political scene –unless, of course, some “accidents” happen in between and Prabakaran from the grave carries a few assassinations. The President’s worried look now a days tells it all.
ISS
#199
The President’s worried look now a days tells it all.
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Recently saw a picture of the President closely examining a potato at the Dambulla markets. He didn’t seem worried at all. Why should he?.Everything that you have said is not a revelation to him, so why did he call the election prematurely, sacrificing 2 years of his term.
Doesn’t make sense to me mate what you say, because of this early election. Only a supremely confidant man will go for it, because he has 30 years of political experience, and everything that you say would have been considered by him.