JAY PATHBEY – USA

When the leader of the UNP requested that people should carry a massive;
1) Poster Campaign
2) Break Kala Gedi (pots)
3) Blow car horns
to bring down President Rajapaksa, he showed his political acumen and the methods he has up his sleeve to bring down the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa. That was not too long ago.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Then the UNP leader used Fonseka, a General with good soldier credentials but no political brain or brawn, to make stupid and foolish remarks that has far reaching consequences in the world arena for Sri Lanka by stating that our Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered Brigadier Shvindra Silva to murder white flag carrying LTTE leaders and then two days later when Fonseka withdrew the statement they made a mockery of Fonseka as well as Ranil not to mention the far reaching waves & consequences it has caused Sri Lanka as a whole in the world arena.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So is the story about Apollo Hospital. The hospital board requested Gotabhaya to become its Chairman, a purely ceremonial post. This was blown out of proportion and a fabricated story was published by the UNP’s own private press and we in the US who tend to read every bit of information about Mother Lanka and what is happening there were shocked. But again those of us who know about The Leader Newspaper and its biased reporting have long realized that Ramil and the UNP will spread their propaganda using this so called newspaper.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ People must be very careful when they read news articles that carry venomuos lies. Especially during election times.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ General Fonseka was one of the greatest heroes in the eyes of almost every Sri Lankan both in Sri Lanka and overseas immediately after the war that ended with the death of Prabhakaran, one of the most talked about terrorist leaders in Sri Lanka’s history. Why?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In any modern warfare it is proper team work with the correct leadership and planning that wins wars. With the leadership of the President, proper strategic planning by the Defence Secretary with the assistance of the commanders of the Air Force, Navy, Army, Police and the Special Forces the war was finally won. A victory that eleuded us due to poor leadership by the previous presidents and their defence teams not o mention the much talked about corruption, graft and mismanagemnt of those in the past leaderships as well as the meddling NGO’s and their manipulators and controllers in the West.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Air Force and the navy in most instances fight from a distance and their human losses are minimal in any modern warfare. Then the (Foot) Soldiers move in with the Special Forces and the Police.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Most of the face to face combat and final mop up operations are by the foot soldiers and therefore they have the highest casualty rates. The military also has the highest number of members under its command.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As the leader of the most visible contributors of the war, namely the army, Forseka immediately after the war started disregarding the contribution by the other leaders of the war machine meaning the Air Force, the Navy, The Police and the Task Force and went on a crusade calling himself the real planner and the winner of the war. All Sri Lankans who adored this man immediately after the war as well as during the last 15 months of the war, started seeing a selfish man disgruntled with the all those who contributed to the team effort to win this war.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Immediately after the war, Sri Lankas next step would have been for all to get together and to develop the country that was left far behind due to the terrorist menace.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Instead, the Pot Breaking, Poster Pasting, Horn Blowing manipulator who handed Prabhakaran 40 percent of the country on a peace treaty conceived with the Norweigians and the West, best Pal of Jayantha and Charles Gnanakone not to mention the 28 occasions in a row, that he lost every election that he contested, Ranil got his tentacles around Forseka. Is the General out of his mind or is he not the hero and the leader we all thought he was? Is he proving to all of us who admired him, beyond any doubt that after all it was the President and Defence Secretary who were the main forces that planned and executed the war that was won by all Sri Lankans? Is Fonseka proving to all of us that he afterall is a man who cannot think for himself but must be manipulated by the others?. Fonseka fell from a the greatest to be the least respected.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While all this mockery was going on, the President – a true leader, through all this confusion created by his General, planned and organized an Expatriate Forum for all Sri Lankans who are scattered all over the world to get together to meets him, the Prime Minister and all those in the Cabinet and the leaders of the Central Bank, Board of Investments to encourage all of us to invest in Sri Lanka and to develop our motherland.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ IF THAT IS NOT TRUE AND REAL LEADERSHIP, WHAT IS?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We travelled from the East, West, North and South of the world and for the first time under one umbrella we discussed what could be done to develop Sri Lanka. I for one who has been out of Sri Lanka since 1966 was truly impressed. We saw in the President, for the first time, someone who really cared for Sri Lanka. I formed a company in Sri Lanka with a group of expatriates and we are well on the way to start on 2 development projects. We had nothing but assistance from every quarter.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Going back to the present leadership in Sri Lanka the President promised to eradicate the terrorist menace during his first term, which he did . He is only asking for another term to develop the country and lift Sri Lanka from almost 56 years of mismangement since the independence. Should we not give him that opportunity? He is a person who is a blessing for our country. We should all wish him long life and success in all he undertakes. One must not forget that the President is not a hot tempered tyrant. He is calm, methodical and waits till the dust has settled.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Remember the first nine months of his presidency when Prabhakaran provoked him. He was so patient that we all were almost fed up. Then after all opportunities given to the LTTE were squandered the President took effective action, in fact he gave PURE HELL to the LTTE.

He manifulated quite articulately, the LTTE loving West as well as the East. He got China and Pakistan to help Sri Lanka when India refused. He brought Iran and Libya to assist us when the West refused. If that is not strategic planning, what is?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Or do you want to vote for Zero Fonseka who has become a liability to all of us both in Sri Lanka and overseas. Ranil has made a silly fool out of Fonseka. What a mess Ranil made of the General. We do not have to mention the other vultures; JVP, Mano Ganeshan, Rauf Hakeem, Mangala Samaraweera to name a few. They are all waiting to BELL THE CAT. Zero Fonseka is the bait.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It will be very difficult for the General to leave the shores of Sri Lanka. He shot himself in the foot by his allegations that the Defence Secretary and General Shavendra killed the LTTE killers. What a leader he has been by blaming his key point man with made up crimes? What a leader he will be, if he ever becomes one, when the going gets tough? Through out Sri Lanka’s history there were many greedy generals who tried to rule and failed miserably.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is not too late for the General to beg forgiveness from all of us and from the President. The President is a compassionate person and I am sure will forgive and forget. But his silence should never be under-estimated. He is strong man with infinite patience. We are truly fortunate to have a true leader for once. The first real leader since Dutugemunu.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Most leaders in the world admire him. Why shouldn’t we the lay men follow suit and certainly why shouldn’t the General come down from his his horse and follow us.

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JAY PATHBEY – USA