REFUGEE

(December 06, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Mayankote Kelath Narayanan, the National Security Advisor (NSA) to the Prime Minister of India, once described the Army General Sarath Fonseka as the "best army commander in the world”. His comment was very popular around the world, because it came from a highly respected and the esteemed security adviser in India.

Having enjoyed this upbeat comment until recently (the President and those ringing around him) the achievement of Sarath Fonseka since the declaration of the Presidential election has become a pathetic political joke.

In hindsight, it will not be surprising if Mahinda Rajapaksha is re-elected and become the sixth executive president of Sri Lanka in January 2010. It will pave the way for him to remain in office until 2016. With the sheer manipulations and misusing the state machinery to his advantage at the election Mahinda is in a better position to win, but ground reality is not that clear for him to take the absolute comfort. The purpose of calling the election is to strengthen his mandate by securing two thirds votes but whether he will achieve even 50% of the votes is a million dollar question boggling the political pundits and the President.

This Presidential election is the crucial chance for the people of Sri Lanka, to play their role to restore democracy and to disband the family bandit rule which is eroding the basics of democratic values that are much needed for the country. If Mahinda’s crony family governance is not brought to an end with this election, destiny of Sri Lanka will be an un-mitigating factor and further erosion of values in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka will further sink into a tin pot dictatorship that will undermine democracy, justice and peace in the island.

Some political commentators are critical of General Sarath Fonseka too. They consider the President is the supreme commander of the forces according to the constitution and all what Sarath did to defeat the LTTE was President’s leadership and not that of the Army Commander. Whatever justification can be attributed to this claim, one must remember that the so-called constitutional supreme commander is not a military man to deal with logistics and the operational aspects. It must be noted the President’s conduct has become highly questionable to govern the country.

If Sarath wanted, it would not have been difficult to oust the President by military means. But his conscience and deeply embedded values prevented him from doing so. When he experienced the wrath of the Rajapakse family’s dictates, he decided to confront the President democratically than by military means. This shows his respect for democracy and the need to strengthen that process.

There were news reports and political analysis speculating election of Sarath Fonseka will lead to militarisation and eventual military rule in Sri Lanka. This must be simply considered as analogy. It is not difficult to comprehend when Sarath has chosen the path of democracy than using military means to achieve power that he is all out to uphold democratic values. If he is elected, he will be the best candidate to be the supreme commander of the states forces as per the constitution.

The President has ruled the country for the past four years, using jamboree methods. He not only solely presided the armed forces constitutionally but also has presided over the clandestine Tamil paramilitaries, the underworld gangsters, death squads, violent ministers and also presided the strong commission Kaaka society with the help of his beloved brother Basil Rajapakse who is well known in the commission kaaka circle as Mr 15% on every deal he was involved in. Even the death of veteran journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga is said to be a pre-empted strike to stop the publication of daring revelations about his commission deals.

Gen. Sarath Fonseka has gone into common alliance with the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU). His whole emphasis is to restore democracy in the Island nation. Without considering the principles of the MOU, it is laughable how even people who are opposed to Rajapaksha, are closing the doors for General Fonseka to enter the political mainstream. Their conduct is only protecting President Rajapaksha’s seat for another term. This is attributable to the inherent fear and Gen Sarath Fonseka has to go a long way to convince this anti-Rajapakse group to bring them into his fold. This is a huge challenge compared to what he faced when he was fighting the LTTE.

Death of the LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran, on 17 of May 2009 has created considerable apathy against the Rajapakse regime as he is unable take forward the nation further to achieve better governance. President Rajapakse has created internal strife’s within communities and political parties to hold on to power. His overtly manipulative and sickening meddling conduct has undermined good governance and accountability in a far reaching way.

As I stated in my recent articles, President Mahinda Rajapaksha is the replica of V. Prabhakaran and pursuing the very same principles to run his authoritarian rule. I referred both of them as two sides of the same coin.

Prapakaran ruled the Tamils with his Valvettithurai boys. Mahinda is doing the same with the family members and his loyal ruffian friends. All others associating with them are feeble worshippers or beneficiaries. Then for both, any opposition is intolerable. They both brand any discontent against them as treachery and treat them with contemptible ‘traitors’ punishments.

In the outset of the Tamil liberation struggle, there were 32 Tamil militant organizations which had its roots in the northern Sri Lanka and had the backing of India. Eventually the Tamil Tigers established supremacy over the other groups, to become the ‘sole representative’ of the Tamils to establish a separated state of Tamil Eelam. Prabakaran used a simple strategy to archive his dream. By marginalising his Tamil opponents, he established his absolute authority over the Tamil community.

V. Prabhakaran was able to run his hegemony for more than 33 years from the May 1976.He killed hundreds and displaced more than six hundred thousand people. He is comparable to another Polpot of Asia.

Prabhakaran used this strategy to eliminate the leaders of Sinhalese political parties.

But since end of 2003, significant part of Sri Lankan society changed its attitude against the LTTE including sizeable Tamil population. Tamil people too reflected their detestation towards the LTTE, as its conduct went beyond limits. LTTE created conflicts within communities and paved the way for communal riots to establish its legitimacy and authority.

If one compares the LTTE strategy with the Mahinda’s rule, can easily realise the transposition of the modus operandi of the LTTE. Electing him for another term will vest him with extending his abhorring methodology of governance further.

The opposition Mangala Samaraweera who was behind the election of Rajapaksha as President, have fully understood the destructive path of Mahinda. He too became a victim of Mahinda’s family rule and has been portrayed as a ‘traitor’ by the Chinthanaya government. Having realised the fallacy of the Mahinda rule, Mangala is all out to change the regime and it is the righteous thing a friend can do when his friend is abusing powers to become an Idi Amin of Sri Lanka.

Mangala and his associates are motivated by the emotional and psychological developments of the voters. He and his campaign team are engaging in high profile political business within the voter bases, but unfortunately Ranil cannot understand that and is seem far away and talking about economy and his baby dream to become a president at least once before he part this world and this is not helping at all.

Even, Rajapaksha and his one time ally Mangala Samaraweera and his fans stampeded the Tamil people rights to vote in the past, and they never attempted to win the hearts of the Tamil people. It is during last Presidential election, Mahinda Rajapaksha violated the basic human rights of the Tamil people by going into back door dealing with the LTTE to prevent the Tamils from voting in the elections. Responsible journalists were unearthing this anti-national conduct of Mahinda, which ultimately rested them in the cemeteries. Their yeoman’s role did not extend any further and all those should have exposed the scandal following these deaths have either gone silent or have left the country to safe heavens.

Mahinda presiding over the violent gangster world has brought havoc to the country and the country’s reputation is being tarnished in the international spear as a result.

Rajapakse’s highhanded behaviour went beyond all bounds. For example The Late Cabinet Minister John Fernandopulle’s (who was assassinated in a bomb blast) Tamil speaking Canadian Passport holding friend is held in prison under the PTA on suspicion of LTTE connection. This victim told me how he had supported the President and his sincerity was abused by the President to put him behind the bars as part of his political point scoring exercise.