By Charles.S.Perera

From the look of it none. To begin with he is handicapped not having a political party of his own to support him. The UNP is already split about a wholehearted support to the retired General. JVP has its own reasons , and not that of the Presidential candidate in offering their support. JVP is trying to evaluate to what extent it is popular among the voters for a future come back into the Parliament with an increased number of JVP Parliamentarians. JVP therefore cares less whether the retired General is elected or not.

It is not worth speaking of the rest of the Partners of the UNF alliance.

The call for the removal of the executives powers of an elected President is not an attractive demand for a popular vote in its favour. The people vote for one of the two candidates and whether the elected President would continue with his executive powers or not is not the immediate concern of the people. However, the people who would be interested, knows that it was a President with executive power as the Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Forces that was able to eliminate the fearful situation of living under terrorism.

A large number of people of different political shades admire the guts of the President Mahinda Rajapakse who came into power promising to end terrorism and kept to his word despite the enormous risk he was taking. Such a man the people understand will continue his promise to develop the infra structure of the of the wounded country, and bring about the promised economic prosperity.

Moreover the voters have put Mahinda Rajapakse to the test, and found that he is a man who keeps to his word, and therefore they know that he is the only man who will fight against corruption, weaken and eliminate the thugs of the underworld, and unite the communities to make Sri Lanka one day, a proud Nation.

Sarath Fonseka has no viable political platform , in addition to his greatest handicap of being a complete novice to politics. After the elimination of terrorism people want a leader that gives them confidence, a leader who can stand up to local or foreign plitical forces without fear or fervour. Mahinda Rajapakse has shown that he fits into that desired role of a strong leader bereft of partisan politics accepting people of diverse communities, and religions as a single nation.

Mahinda Rajapakse is an astute politician , having worked with the common people he blends into being one of them. That the people appreciate by accepting him in turn, as one of them. That is a significant achievement no political leader before him had achieved. Sarath Fonseka therefore has a formidable opponent to contest, and he is not even a shade nearer to compete with him.

A proud leader of the people will not demean himself consenting to accept any offer, at any price to achieve his object of leading the country to wards unity and prosperity. Mahinda Rajapakse will not stoop so low to have even the verbal support of the defeated terrorists or any of their supporters to make a success of his election campaign, even though he has invited the expatriates to give up their support for terrorism to bring the country out of the morass into which the terrorists themselves had pushed it.

But Sarath Fonseka showed his defeatist mentality and selfish desire for power whatever it costs to the country, by openly admitting that he will accept the support of the terrorists, even that of the parents of Prabhakaran to win against the present President Mahinda Rajapakse. That itself made him a looser from the outset.

No intelligent electorate will vote for such a man without principles. Will such a man as the President of Sri Lanka be able to fight the vindictive foreign nations, who are determined to divide our country, accusing us for violation of human rights when none exist, or threatening us with criminal charges for fighting against an enemy of our country and the nation ?

In this unseemly situation into which Sarath Fonseka has put himself , will it be wrong to assume that if Sarath Fonseka had nurtured the ambition to seek to be the elected President of Sri Lank while fighting to eliminate terrorism, he was sacrificing the Sinhala youth to deliver Sri Lanka from terrorism not with any patriotism, but to use that victory as a spring board to jump into political power ?

And again, will it be wrong to assume, that if he with his political ambition was directly contacted by Milliband and Bernard Kouchner during the final phase of the war, seeking access to the terrorist leaders cornered in the no-fire Zone, he would have meekly allowed them access even if it was to evacuate the terrorist leaders including Prabhakaran to safety ?

In order to win the Presidential elections Sarath Fonseka has to explain to the people for what reason he is seeking election against the popular, charismatic, politically efficient incumbent , a patriot to his very grain the President Mahinda Rajapakse, who had on many fronts shown the metal of which he is made.

The reason he has so far given for presenting himself as a rival candidate, against Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse is that he wants to eliminate corruption and follow the economic policies of the UNP which he says is more acceptable. He also says agreeing with both UNP and the JVP that the executive powers of the President should be taken away.

Sarath Fonseka seems unable to understand that with an executive Prime Minister which the UNP proposes, he if elected , and without his executive power as the President , will only be a ceremonial decoration in a fancy dress. Is that what the country wants , and is that what Sarath Fonseka wants ?

We saw that happening under the President Chandrika Kumaratunga, despite the executive power, she was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-puttyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in the hands of Ranil Wickramasinghe who was her Prime Minister without any executive power. The Prime Minister Ranil Wickramsinghe, turned his back to the executive President to sign the CFA to surrender to the might of the terrorists, to nearly offer them the Eelam State on a platter.

Ranil Wickramasinghe the weakest of all political leaders we had , was in turn ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-puttyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in the hands of the Western powers, and the Norwegian Solheim.

It was only the President Mahinda Rajapakse who turned tables on the terrorists. The people have not forgotten that, if they remember , Sarath Fonseka will have a difficult time wooing their votes.

At the meeting with the Asgiriya Malawatta Prelates , Sarath Fonseka had again reiterated that he wishes to remove corruption in the public administration, as if it is the only dominant problem Sri Lanka is faced with to-day. It is more important to-day to bring the three communities together to make a united Sri Lankan Nation out of them.

The concept promoted by the incumbent President that there are no minorities in Sri Lanka is a step forward in the correct direction. And so was the attempt to eliminate political parties named after a Community they seek to represent by an act of the Parliament.

But the devolution of political power as harped on by the International Community would not at all be a correct decision to solve the so called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ethnic problemƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. It will only continue the communal dissention, and create communal rivalry giving birth once again to terrorism as a side effect. Sarath Fonseka has not so far made his stand clear on these more important issues.

But some how or other, Sarath Fonseka seeking to be elected as the President of Sri Lanka seems to have a more sinister aspect. We are not seeing the wood for the trees. One would have not incorrectly assumed that Sarath FonsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s determination to eliminate terrorism and Praphakaran at all cost, was the desire for vengeance after he was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-nearly assassinatedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ by a human suicide bomb sent by Prabhakaran.

But there is yet another side to the issue , Sarath Fonseka had not shown at any previous occasion any sign that could have been interpreted as a political ambition. But what transpired between the 18 May, 2009, and the day he returned to Sri Lanka from his visit to America had change his mind suddenly to resign from the highest military post he apparently consented to accept, and become the common Presidential candidate of the Opposition against the President Mahinda Rajapakse with whom he had apparently no open disagreement in the military operations or in personal relationship ?

Is there then some thing more to his decision than meets the eye ? Has he been manipulated by some foreign powers unfriendly towards Sri Lanka. These are justifiable questions to understand this unexpected turn of event.

If there had been such manoeuvres it is important that the government provides maximum security to the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Presidential Candidate Sarath FonsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ . It is important not only for his own security but for the security of the whole country. The ways of the West are many fold. They could be good friends and worst of enemies.

We remember very well how the Western media, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Bruce Fein and some section of the American Lawyers, Some American Senators, Ban Ki Moon and the United Nations, ICRC,UNHRC led by Navy Pillai, European Union, and all the rest of the caboodle were all out to promote the safety of the terrorist leadership accusing Sri Lanka Government of violation of Human Rights, indiscriminate aerial attacks on hospitals and schools, shooting of civilians, using heavy artillery etc.

ThatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s how the western democracies and the humanitarians went all out against a developing country fighting against its terrorist menace to see an end to it, and bring the people together in an environment of peace and prosperity.

The terrorism had been done away with inside the country, but have we seen the end of it outside the country ?

The vengeance seekers in the west the great democratic governments of the EU are all out to thwart the hard gained peace and our efforts to develop our country and bring about the desired wealth and happiness , all because the President Mahinda Rajapakse did not give way to the Western Countries to throw a life line to the terrorists when they were cornered in Mullativu.

The defeat of the incumbent President, the initiator after a long march of hope, for unity and prosperity, would be a gain for the dark forces within, manipulated by those dark sinister forces outside. But yet, has Sarath Fonseka even a ghost of a chance to win the Presidential elections ?

Sarath Fonseka himself no doubt entered into the fray knowing the difficulties he has to face in the political battle field, where the arms and artillery to be used are different from those he was used to in the battle front facing the terrorists. He was good at directing soldiers and planning out strategies, but as a politician vying for the Presidential chair, he failed miserably at his first press conference.

People saw before them a political weakling, who could be made a pawn in the chess board of politics by weathered political strategists, such as those who check mated many an astute politicians in the developing countries of the world. But for the voters of Sri Lanka he is already a non-starter.

Even the media peddles the anti government propaganda. The Island which we hasten to accept as objective, restricts its objectivity and patriotic stance to its editorial. Under these circumstance one tends to believe that every thing is being put in place for a anti- government vote at the Presidential election .

But what ever be the motives of those prophets of doom the voters will give the verdict in favour of him who has shown his undoubted capacity to work for the country and its people in good weather or bad, putting himself for the chosen objective of serving the people and the country.

And Sarath Fonseka under such circumstances have very little or no chance of winning the Presidential election.