REFUGEE

Colombo: Sri Lanka's main contenders for the presidency at the January president polls, the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa held his inaugural public rally in the historic city of Anuradhapura this evening with religious activities at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi preceding.

Addressing the massive crowd the President vowed to secure a future for the present and future generations as he led the country's forces to end the war and restore peace.

"We have saved this country from Tiger terrorism for all politicians to hold meetings without fear," he said to the deafening applause from the people.

President Rajapaksa stressed that mega development programs initiated by his government in the country would be strengthened further after his election. The development activities at large scale will continue to provide benefits to the masses and more development schemes would emerge soon.

The President pointed out that the government provided fertilizer subsidy to farmers even during the global financial crisis and the government secured funds from many countries including India, China, Pakistan and even America for development work.

However, he or his government would not seek money from Prabakaran's parents for any matter, the President remarked.

He said instead he would depend on the farming community to develop this country and make it self sufficient.

No one will be able to stop the progressive march of the government, Preisdent Rajapaksa assured the crowd.

SB Dissanayake, Minister Johnston Fernando and others crossed over from the opposition UNP along with Ministers D. M. Jayaratna and Nimal Siripala de Silva and many others addressed the rally.

Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today urged the opposition presidential candidate, former Chief of Defence Staff, General Sarath Fonseka not to betray the humanitarian operation and the heroic security force members who contributed to it to fulfill narrow political objectives.

Addressing a gathering of representatives from 64 trade unions of the country at the Temple Trees today, the President said he on behalf of truth and justice will not allow any room to tarnish the image of the war heroes or the country from attempts to mislead the public.

The President pointed out to the union members that his government took measures to maintain the state sector stable by increasing the state employees up to 1.2 million.

The government's proper management programme helped to protect both state and private sector jobs despite the global crisis in economy, President Rajapaksa pointed out.

The President urged all citizens of the country to join hands with his government to build a developed nation.

Dec 13, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today addressed the officers of the Police Department at the Temple Trees.

President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, IGP Mahinda Balasuriya, former IGPs and other senior police officers were also present.

Dec 11, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised to solve all the problems plaguing the Educational Administrative Service of the country when he met the Educational Administrative Society members at the Temple Trees yesterday (10).

The President highlighting the importance of building the country as a knowledge center in the region said the country's education system need to be changed at this at this crucial juncture to achieve the goal.

During the meeting President Rajapaksa pointed out that the current administration ij four years accomplished a massive part of the work that was vested in it for the six-year term.

President Rajapaksa requested urged all progressive forces to discharge their duties and responsibilities properly and unite to strengthen the programme of building the country that had achieved peace after 30 years.

Sri Lanka’s defeat of terrorism with its victory over Tamil Tiger rebels shows the country will uphold human rights, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

“All Sri Lankans enjoy the freedoms they were denied for a very long period,” Rajapaksa said in a statement late yesterday marking Human Rights Day. The anniversary “is of special significance at it takes place when the entire country is liberated from the clutches of terrorism.”

The army won a 26-year war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May, ending the group’s 26-year fight for a separate Tamil homeland in the South Asian island nation of 20 million people. The U.S., European Union and India, along with Sri Lanka, designated the LTTE as a terrorist organization.

Rajapaksa’s government has faced international calls to improve human rights with the U.S. and United Nations citing abuses by the army and rebels in the war. Sri Lanka must do more, especially ensuring free speech and a free press, Robert Blake, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, said during a visit to Colombo two days ago.

“We shall continue to work together with the UN and all the other agencies that seek to advance human rights,” Rajapaksa said in his statement.

The U.S. State Department in October released a congressionally mandated report listing accounts of army shelling of civilians and killings carried out by the LTTE in the final weeks of the war.

Sri Lanka’s government has ordered an investigation into the allegations while saying the report is “unsubstantiated.”

Press Freedom

Killings, abductions and disappearances have been reduced since the conflict ended in May, Blake said at a news conference in Colombo.

“More has to be done, particularly on the press freedom front,” Blake said. “Journalists should be able to write their perspectives and report on events freely, without fear of reprisal. Individuals should be able to voice their differences openly and people who have violated the rights of others should be held accountable for their actions.”

Sri Lanka has called on western nations to help it rebuild after the war and stop raising the issues of human rights abuses and the speed of settling more than 280,000 mainly Tamil refugees held in transit camps in the north when the conflict ended. Navi Pillay, the UN Human Rights Commissioner, said in September the Tamils were being kept in “conditions of internment,” an assessment the government rejected.

Settlement Program

About 94,000 people remain in the Menik Farm camp at Vavuniya in the north and the government says it wants to have all displaced people returned to their towns as villages of origin by the end of January.

Their return was delayed by the need to clear about 1.5 million mines from conflict areas and secure the north, the government said. The U.S. has provided $6.6 million for the mine-clearing program, Blake, a former ambassador to Colombo, said at his news conference.

While Sri Lanka in July received a $2.6 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, the end of the civil war has boosted agriculture and tourism that will help the country’s $41 billion economy.

The central bank forecasts it will grow as much as 6 percent next year after expanding about 3.5 percent in 2009. Overseas investment in Sri Lanka rose about 10 percent in 2009 from about $3 billion last year, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said last month.

The country’s exports that include tea, rubber, textiles and clothes may start to grow in the first quarter of 2010 after dropping for 10 consecutive months, he said.

Journalists affiliated to main media institutions in the country have been invited by President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a friendly meeting on Tuesday (8) evening.

Many journalists say the invitation for the friendly meeting was a move by the President to feed the journalists and keep them happy in order to get their maximum support at the forthcoming President and general elections.

A similar get-together was organized during the 2005 Presidential election campaign and journalists who attended it received only Soda

to drink and nothing to eat a few hours after the function commenced.

Journalists had to finally pay for their food and drink.

Sources from Temple Trees noted that people in-charge of organizing such events were playing out money from the President and was disgracing him.

Meanwhile, many people who visited meetings at Temple Trees from the outstations during provincial council elections had received spoilt rice packs.

Many journalists commenting on the President’s latest invitation hoped the event this time would be better organized than the last one.

A survey conducted by the State Intelligence Service has revealed that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was ahead of General Sarath Fonseka. The secret report handed over to the President by Director of the Intelligence Service, DIG Keerthi Gajanyake states the President had 53% of the preferences while the General commanded only 46%.

The report further stated that although General Fonseka was very popular in urban areas, the President was the preferred choice in rural areas.

However, a secret report presented to the President by the Intelligence Service a month earlier said the President had 60% of the preference. The President’s election campaign was launched months earlier while the General is yet to launch his campaign.

A senior officer of the Intelligence Service who gave us this information said a survey has not been done aft General Fonseka officially announced his intention of contesting the election. Threw officer said the results could differ after the General launches his campaign and the possibility of a Tamil candidate contesting the election.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday told heads of the local print and electronic media that his decision to advance the presidential election by two years was prompted by his desire to restore universal franchise to the Tamil civilians.

Also on Tuesday, the ultra nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) extended conditional support for the candidature of General (retired) Sarath Fonseka.

In his meeting with the local media heads, Mr. Rajapaksa said the people of the North were deprived of voting rights by the LTTE and added: “I have been assigned by the people of this country to unite the nation, protect the sovereignty.”

The ruling combine commenced the campaign for the presidential election slated for January 23 by posting leaders to either campaign for Mr. Rajapaksa or to target the “opportunistic politics” of his rivals.

The opposition parties are still in the process of fine-tuning their strategy on how to derive maximum mileage from “war hero” General (retired) Fonseka, who is their consensus candidate against Mr. Rajapaksa.

Meanwhile, JVP parliamentarian Ramalingham Chandrasekar told The Hindu that General (retired) Fonseka had agreed to their five-point charter of demands in return for their backing him as a presidential candidate.

Sources in the General’s camp said he was more than eager to jump into the presidential race.

“The retired General is talking to representatives of various opposition parties in the island nation and we are hopeful that he would emerge as the common consensus candidate of the opposition combine,” said an aide.

The key point in the charter of demands of the JVP and the opposition United National Party (UNP) is the abolition or substantial dilution of the powers of the Executive Presidency. Most mainstream parties in Sri Lanka have agreed that the supreme powers conferred to the office of the Executive Presidency have polarised the society further and complicated the solution to the ethnic problem.

Meanwhile, General (retired) Fonseka filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court requesting adequate security and also seeking the intervention of the court to allow him to stay on at his official residence on the ground that the government was not complying with his request.

Keywords: Mahinda Rajapaksa, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Sarath Fonseka, Ramalingham Chandrasekar

A Sai pooja had been held at Temple Trees soon after announcing the Presidential election on the 23rd, which is also the birthday of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

The pooja was reportedly organized following a proposal made by First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. The spouses of several ministers closely associated with the President had also been invited for the pooja.

However, Shiranthi had avoided inviting both Basil and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa for the pooja saying they consumed beef.

A priest from the Sai Manidr in Colombo had attended the pooja on the First Lady’s invitation and several devotees have also participated to sing Bajan songs.

The priest had said the President needed to feed dogs and crows as he was suffering from bad effects of Saturn. Mervyn Silva’s wife has been assigned to fulfill this task.

The President’s propaganda committee has taken steps to send a voice message of the President to 13 million telephones as part of the election campaign. The project is to be handled by Presidential Advisor Sunimal Fernando and Director General, Sri Lanka Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, Priyantha Kariyapperuma. Sunimal Fernando is the uncle of Dialog Sri Lanka’s CEO, Dr. Hans Wijesuriya.

According to the plan, every citizen is to receive a voice message from the President on their fixed and mobile lines. A senior government minister told Lanka News Web that a decision has been made to get maximum use of the technological advancements in the election campaign.

The minister said that Basil Rajapaksa has estimated the President’s campaign to cost between Rs. 8-9 million.

Sri Lanka is all set for a Presidential election in January next year. While President Mahinda Rajapaksa signed a proclamation about the polls on Monday afternoon, the date of the election – most likely January 23 – is yet to be formally announced.

“President Mahinda Rajapaksa today decided to hold the next Presidential Election and issued instructions to his Secretary, Lalith Weerathunga with regard to gazetting the Presidential proclamation to enable the Commissioner of Elections to conduct the poll”, a report on a government website said.

Weerathunga speaking to Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) said Rajapaksa had signed the proclamation regarding this today. The gazette notification in this regard would be issued soon.

Under the Lankan constitution, the President has the power to call a presidential poll after completing four years of the six-year-term in office; Rajapaksa completed four years on November 19.

The Parliamentary polls will also have to be held by April 10 before the Parliament completes its six-year-tenure.

The announcement was greeted by a statement from the principal opposition party, the United National Party (UNP).

“With a presidential poll in the air, we have already witnessed the hasty transfers of several high ranking policemen which can only be a harbinger to the violence and abuse of state property that is to surely follow once the polls are announced,’’ the statement said.

Former prime minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe the UNP chief is also the leader of the opposition coalition, the 18-party United National Front. He has said that UNF could consider nominating the just-retired General Sarath Fonseka as the consensus Presidential candidate to take on Rajapaksa. But the nomination is subject to Fonseka endorsing

a 10-point common minimum programme including the the abolition or substantial dilution of powers of the Executive Presidency as a key component.

Colombo,

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will make a special announcement tomorrow (Monday) about elections.

According to Basil Rajapaksa MP and the Special Advisor to the President, initially the presidential elections will be held followed by the parliamentary general elections.

Basil Rajapaksa speaking to Asian Tribune said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa would make an announcement tomorrow of the government’s decision of holding presidential elections first, followed by the parliamentary general elections.

He said after the announcement, it is up to the Election Commission to determine the dates of the election.

Common Candidate – a tug-a-war

Asian Tribune learnt that Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna has clearly indicated that they will not support General (retd.) Sarath Fonseka if he comes forward to contest as a United National Front candidate led by the United National Party of Ranil Wickremasinghe.

They wanted the retired General to contest on a common party or front and they have two months ago applied with the Election Commission for the registration Eksath Prajathantrawadi Peramuna (United Democratic Front) and awaiting the approval .

USA & Norway’s Manipulations

In the meantime, United States of America and Norway are surreptiously involved in the behind the scene maneuvering to win the support of the Tamils to their Don Juan - Sarath Fonseka.

They have made arrangement through Varathakumar of the Tamil Information centre, London, to hold a meeting in Zurich and invited Tamil and Muslim leaders of Sri Lanka to attend the meeting.

Zurich Meeting

Varathakumar has invited Rajavarothayam Sampanthan, the parliamentary group leader of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Suresh Premachandran (EPRLF-S, TNA), Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam (All Ceylon Tamil Congress, TNA), Arumugam Thondaman (CWC), Muthu Sivalingam (CWC), Mano Ganesan (DPA), Anandasangaree (TULF), Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan (TMVP), D. Siddharthan (PLOTE) and Rauff Hakeem (SLMC).

Free round trip air tickets were sent to these invitees and free hotel and other arrangements are too provided freely to the participants.

Who is footing the bill for these arrangements is a mystery.

Your guess is good as that of mine said a source close to the organizers of the meeting in Zurich.

CWC & TMVP leaders left Zurich

Already Minister Arumugam Thondaman and Muthu Sivalingham of the CWC and Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal have expressed their disagreement and are on their way back to Sri Lanka.

It is learnt that Rauff Hakeem MP and the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress is spearheading the discussions to canvass the support of the Tamil National Alliance to Sarath Fonseka.

TNA might break

Sources told that TNA representatives are in a quandary to express their decision openly as they have to discuss with the other TNA Members of Parliament, before coming up with an agreement to support General (retd.) Sarath Fonseka in the Presidential election.

Asian Tribune learns in case Sampanthan, Suresh Premachandran (EPRLF-S, TNA), Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam (All Ceylon Tamil Congress), agrees to support the common presidential candidate of the United National Front , there is a danger of TNA breaking up in two to three groups.

In the aspect of supporting Fonseka, there is no unanimity in the midst of TNA parliament members. The TNA Parliament members belonging to the LTTE are vehemently opposing Sarath Fonseka for the alleged killing of the innocent Tamil civilians by troops led by Sarath Fonseka.

Also it is learnt that even in the midst of the Muslims, there is no unanimity.

Even majority of the Muslim leaders of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress opposes Rauff Hakeem for coming forward to support General Fonseka without obtaining the approval of the members.

Muslim leaders are of the opinion that it was Sarath Fonseka who opposed the resettlement of the displaced Muslims who are languishing in camps in Puttalam, when he was the Commander of Jaffna.

- Asian Tribune -

Sources from Temple Trees say the President is due to announce the date of the next presidential election on November 20th following astrological advice. In this backdrop, the Presidential election is to be held around January 15, 2010.

Participants at the SLFP convention yesterday called on the President to first hold a Presidential election. The Defence Secretary has however warned the President against holding the Presidential election two years prior to the scheduled date.

The President had ignored Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s warning saying it would reflect baldy on his image if he postponed the Presidential election at a time when there was speculation about General Sarath Fonseka entering the fray.

The President had told several confidants yesterday that regardless of survey reports put together by the intelligence units, he had the strength to put a good fight against General Fonseka.

The President said in speech at the SLFP national convention on Sunday (15) that there was time to announce whether the Presidential or general election would be held first in the country. In the run up to the convention, the President, SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena and other senior government members said the announcement of whether it would be a Presidential or general election would be made at the convention.

The convention that commenced at 5 p.m. at the Kettarama Grounds ended at 7.45 p.m.
The President during his speech asked the SLFPers if they wanted the Presidential or

general election first. He asked those in support of holding a Presidential election first to raise their hands. Everyone raised their hands claiming the first election to be held should be the Presidential election.

After asking the SLFP membership if they wanted a Presidential election two years earlier, the President said the party leadership would make the final decision.

A senior official from the party headquarters told Lanka News Web that according to the SLFP constitution, neither the political committee nor the central committee has the right to amend any decisions arrived at the national convention.

Therefore, the approval by all SLFP members at the convention to hold a Presidential election first would now compel the President call for the Presidential election first, the official said.

However, Lanka News Web informed on November 11th that the President would not announce if the Presidential or general election would be held first at the SLFP national convention

Lankan Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka's resignation has been accepted by the President with immediate effect, rejecting his request to serve for two more weeks, officials said on Friday.

Though the top general, who as army chief was the architect of the annihilation of the rebel Tamil Tigers in a military offensive in May, sought permission to retire from December 1, the government relieved him immediately.

"General Sarath Fonseka has been granted permission to retire with immediate effect," Secretary to the President Lalith Weerathunga said.

A war hero at home for leading the army to a total victory against the Tigers, Fonseka quit his post as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) -- a ceremonial position he was

given after the campaign – on Thursday.

In a letter to Rajapaksa, Fonseka said he was promoted to the new post "with basically no authority" due to misleading reports of a likely coup in the island"I am compelled to believe that your excellency and the government has lost your trust and faith bestowed upon me... thereby I have the honour to request that I be permitted to terminate my services and retire from the Regular Force of the Army with effect from 01st December 2009," Fonseka said.

"The president asked him to leave with immediate effect. This means he (the general) does not have to stay on till December 1, the date he mentioned that he wanted the resignation to take effect," government spokesman Anusha Palpita said.

The President has ordered the immediate removal and transfer of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director General SSP Ravi Waidyalankara since he conducted extensive investigations into various crimes and corruption of several ministers and businessmen close to the President.

The Presidential Secretariat has advised the IGP to state the transfer has been carried out as a routine one carried out when a new IGP assumes office. Labour Minister Mervyn Silva had reportedly made several requests from the President to remove Ravi Waidyalankara from the CID.

Sources from the Police Headquarters said Ravi Waidyalankara is a sworn attorney and holds a degree on criminal investigations. Ravi Waidyalankara is known to have played a key role in minimizing crimes in the country.

Sources from the Opposition Leader’s Office said the President has requested two of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s friends to get Wickremesinghe to agree to a joint action plan to ensure a better future for the country. The President has made this request after emphasizing the threat on the country’s democracy if a military regime under General Fonseka rules the country.

The President had called former UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema and had spoken at length of the steps that could be taken to reach a consensus with the Opposition Leader. The President had also invited two of the Opposition Leader’s close friends to Temple Trees for a discussion on Wednesday (11).

Sources further observed that the President had informed Malik Samarawcikrema that he would abolish the Executive Presidency within the next two years.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's hopes of easily winning re-election have taken a blow with plans for a popular armed forces chief to run against him. The opposition's nomination of a war hero General Sarath Fonseka, the nation's chief of defense staff, may well split the Sinhala-Buddhist vote.

The presidential election is not due until November 2011, but there are signs Rajapaksa may hold them as early as January next year, to take advantage of a high-level of public support. The Sri Lankan army's defeat in May of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended the three-decade long civil war and led to a surge in Sinhala-Buddhist triumphalism, as well as in Rajapaksa's popularity.

The ruling United People's Freedom Alliance has benefited tremendously from the military victory, scoring a string of electoral



victories in provincial councils and local bodies over the past year. Rajapaksa hopes to cash in on the euphoria before public discontent grows over economic issues. He is expected to announce a revised election date on November 15.

Since the war ended, Rajapaksa and his allies have launched a campaign projecting him as "Sri Lanka's Savior", with billboards depicting him as a Buddhist deity visible across the island. The powerful Buddhist clergy has also participated in the glorification, with various chapters conferring on him titles such as Universally Glorious Overlord of the Sinhalese, Heroic Warrior Overlord of Lanka and Monarchical Emperor of the Glorious Land of Buddhism.

Immediately after the LTTE's defeat, Rajapaksa's supporters began a campaign to make him president for life. It failed to gather sufficient steam, but that hasn't stopped a personality cult being built around him, with ministers trumpeting his "foresight, patience and bravery".

Rajapaksa's campaign to take sole credit for the victory has ruffled feathers in the armed forces, triggering an ever-widening rift at the nation's highest levels of power. Relations between Rajapaksa and Fonseka deteriorated visibly in the weeks after the LTTE's defeat.

Fonseka was a big part of the offensive, leading crucial military offensives. He was army commander from December 2005 to July this year, leading the planning of the final phases of the "Eelam War IV", which culminated in the final defeat of the LTTE.

The Rajapaksa government has tried to downplay his contribution. "It was President Rajapaksa and his brother, Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who steered the forces to victory against the LTTE," Labor Minister Mervyn Silva said at a public rally recently, calling on Fonseka and others not to take "personal credit" for the victory.

Fonseka was due to retire as army commander in December, but in July he was appointed as Chief of Defense Staff. The shuffle saw his stint in the more powerful post of army commander cut short by six months, with the "promotion" moving him to a powerless, ceremonial post. More recently, Fonseka was offered the position of Secretary to the Sports ministry, a job he has declined.

Fonseka has not taken this quietly, instead drawing attention to the central role the army played in the war. In a speech a fortnight ago, Fonseka said "certain people in Colombo" who "hold various responsibilities in the country" speak about the victory over the LTTE as though it was achieved with ease.

"No matter how talented we are as politicians, this victory may not have been possible if not for the assistance given by the public and service rendered by the soldiers," he said. "If not for the commitment of the army" the victory would not have been possible.

Fonseka's comments have left Rajapaksa's supporters anxious over plans for Fonseka to enter the presidential race.

Twelve political parties recently formed the Eksath Jathika Peramuna, or United National Front (UNF), which has the stated objective of combating the "corrupt and despotic Rajapaksa family regime". The opposition coalition believes Fonseka's credentials as a war hero will attract a sizeable section of the hardline Sinhala vote, placing him in a strong position to defeat Rajapaksa.
Fonseka indicated some weeks ago that he is considering a job change. "Generals wearing uniforms will not remain in the army forever," he said.

Even before he gives a formal nod to the new role, the Rajapaksa camp is ramping up criticism of Fonseka, and the patronage that the ruling party has extended the Buddhist clergy for years is paying off. The Patriotic National Movement, the Patriotic Bikkhu Front, the Jana Vijaya Foundation, the Jayagrahana Lanka Foundation and several Buddhist monks on Wednesday called on Fonseka to not contest the presidential election, warning that they will issue a decree against him if he does. Buddhist monks have threatened to organize mass protests against Fonseka.

Dire warnings are being made of what lies ahead for Sri Lanka should a former general become president. Education minister Susil Premajayantha has pointed to the "total mess" in Pakistan after General Zia-ul Haq came to power in a 1977 coup. The general died in 1988, but "the trend of destabilization continues even today," Premajayantha said.

Neither Rajapaksa nor Fonseka evokes confidence among the island's Tamils. This isn't surprising given that both were part of the violence unleashed on ordinary Tamils in the name of fighting the LTTE. Some Tamils in Sri Lanka and abroad would like to see Fonseka, Rajapaksa and his brother Gotabhaya tried for war crimes.

A fortnight ago, when Fonseka was in the United States on a private visit, it was reported that the US Department of Homeland Security was going to question him over alleged human-rights violations in the latter stages of the war. There was real fear in the Rajapaksa camp that he would give evidence against Gotabhaya, who is a US citizen.

Essentially, Rajapaksa and Fonseka are cut from the same cloth. Both are Sinhala-Buddhist hardliners who view Tamils as a minority who should know their place. In an interview to a Canadian daily newspaper in September 2008, Fonseka said he "strongly believed that Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhalese, but there are minority communities" that are treated "like our people". "They can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things," he said.

Rajapaksa has displayed similar sentiments when dealing with Tamils. In the months following the LTTE's defeat, his government made few attempts to reconcile with the Tamils.

Only a few weeks ago, Rajapaksa's re-election was a foregone conclusion. Now that is not so certain, and he will have to fight harder to maintain his position if Fonseka throws his hat in the ring.

As for Fonseka, he would have to relinquish his uniform before contesting. Importantly, his resignation will have to be accepted by the president. Will Rajapaksa accept that resignation, or refuse to do so and prevent Fonseka from challenging him?

There are issues that Fonseka will have to sort out with the UNF. The abolition of the executive presidency is an important proposal that has drawn its constituents together, but Fonseka is said to be strongly opposed to this. Then there is the matter of the Tamil parties. Will they accept Fonseka as their presidential candidate?
Those opposed to Fonseka's entry into politics say it will politicize the military and undermine Sri Lanka's democracy. Fonseka as president will spell the end of democracy, his critics say. But democracy in Sri Lanka has been dying for a while, and it isn't the generals who have been strangling it. Sri Lanka's democracy has been weakened by successive democratically elected governments, with Rajapaksa's government contributing the most to this.

The President has informed Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe through a middle man to act with caution keeping in mind the democratic process in the country when promoting General Sarath Fonskea as he would take steps to arrest him and Wickremesinghe within 24 hours after assuming office as President. The middle man who had carried the message is close friend of both the President and the Opposition Leader.

The message had been delivered to the Opposition Leader moments before he left the country yesterday (8).

The President had informed this middle man to tell Ranil not to pave the way for the creation of a military government to resolve issues that may exist between them and had also asked to


inform the Opposition Leader of his intension to meet with him when he returned to the island from his Indian tour.

This photo published by Sri Lanka's state print media propaganda organ Sunday Observer is clear evidence that the President Mahinda Rajaakse's official tour to Vietnam is aimed at propagating his defying policy towards Western super powers that are questioning the human rights conduct of the country under him.

The caption went as "President Mahinda Rajapaksa observing the photographs of Western war crimes displayed at the Museum of War Remnants in Vietnam during an official visit to the country,"


A 68 page report prepared by the War Crimes office in the State Department and presented to

Congress on Thursday lists 170 incidents in Sri Lanka between May 2 and 18. It is based mostly on internal reports to Washington from the US Embassy in Colombo, satellite imagery, international relief organizations and media outlets.The report alleges that thousands of Tamil civilians were gunned down by Tiger guerrillas seeking to use them as human shields or killed in what it calls “indiscriminate government shelling.” Stephen Rapp, the US Ambassador at large for war crimes issues has said that the Government of Sri Lanka should investigate the allegations.

Foreign Ministry Sri Lanka in a quick response said on Thursday that the report “appears to be unsubstantiated and devoid of corroborative evidence.” It accused vested interests of endeavouring to bring the Government of Sri Lanka into disrepute, through “fabricated allegations and concocted stories.”