Henry-USA

As the day for one of the most important elections in Sri Lanka in modern history draws nigh, all patriots who believe in democracy, peace and prosperity for Sri Lankans present and future need to think before they cast their vote-but that is some thing that every voter does anyway, I hope.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The choice thay make of what is best for the country and its people will obviously have very far reaching consequences. The way I see it, the choice is clear for highly obvious reasons, and it would be pure betrayal of honest reasoning if General Sarath Fonseka is voted to power. Many of those reasons stare us in the face, yet there seem to be some who cannot see beyond the ir noses.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ First, why did Sarath Fonseka decide to run for president? He says he was sidelined. If that is the real motivation for his sudden illusions of grandeur, for my money it is not eason enough, because he has really not asked himself in truth whether he has the abilty, the vision, the politica experience and knowhow to lead a country, not just any country, but one whose experiences in the past three dacades places it in a very delicate position. Yes, he led the army, but he did not liberate the country alone. He had the support of the navy, the air force, the police, the President and government and the people of Sri Lanka and many other oranizations to do it. If he was sidelined, there was obviously a reason for it-namely that there was some risk to the president and government whose continuation had to be ensured in order to make the victory over the terrorists permanent. Post victory events have shown very clearly how many individuals and groups within and outside the country, stunned and disappointed bythe defeat of their darling terror leader, have been trying to destabilize the country by making the most damaging charges about the conduct of the war. (We were threatened with terrifying consequences sch as economic sanctions which would have been disastrous to the country at this point. And what does our SF, in his haste to grab the reins do? He gives credence to the very charges that have been made by the enemies of the nation. And then,relizing that he has put his foot, both feet, rather in his mouth, detracts what he said. Dear me!

Is this the kind of person who wants to bring peace , independence and prosperity to the country, or is it a person who will do anything to gain power?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Secondly, it is very doubtful if SF in fact made his own decison to contest the presidency. Consider the situation: here are some ‘leaders’ of the past, waiting in the wings, scheming, doing whatever they can to bring down the only leader who had the courage and foresight to realize that no peace was possible while the terorists flourished. They are stunned, chagrined that he has gone against all the political pundits, the national and international pressure to seek “NEGOTIATION” with the devil incarnate, and courageously, with a sense of purpose stands up to the cajoling, the warnings, and the threats of those who do not mean Sri Lanka any good, uses the combined forces at his command to debunk all the theories of the invincibilty of terror and annihilates the enemy. Now the opposition-not really worthy of its name-finds their catspaw- and the rest is history. Our actions are guided by intention, and I say that the intention of SF is not to the benefit of the country, but an overactive ego taking over rational thought. We have heard that politics makes strange bedfellows, But this is the limit: SF, Ranil, Mangala, the JVP, the TNA-anyone with common sense would see that political achcharu, and social and economic mayhem is on the horizon if SF is elected.

One can wax till dawn on what this motley group has done individually, but I would like to remind readers of one good point for each. First, Ranil: never had the courage or the ability to show the international community that Sri Lanka is a nation of people whao take pride in their independence and sovereignty, and are not ready to dance to the tune of vested outside interests to whom he has been dancing obeisance. (And his grand leader was mainly responsible for the rise to power of the terrorists, when he failed to protect the interests of the innocent tamil people in the events of 83-so much for the leadership in whose shadow Ranil and Mangala walk.) As for the JVP, do I need to talk about the atrocious crimes they committed not once but twice, and causing untold damge to tens of thousands of innocent people in the pursuit of their heinous dreams? And the TNA! Arent these the guys who were proxies of that vicious group-whose name I personally have avidly refrained from using, preferring to label them for what they really were-terrorists, but cerytainly not a olitical party. Aren’t they also totally committed to fragmentation of the nation? And how is SF going to bring them to heel (if he comes into power, fortunately an enormous IF) without giving them what they’ve always wanted, and will continue to want? This would be a complete waste of the lives, efforts and resources we have sacrificed to defaet the terrorists and a complete reversal to the proverbial square one. Under the incumbent president, a united sovereign Sri Lanka would be an accepted principle; under SF, the demands of vested intersts will take us right back to where we are fortunate to be in now-standing straight, walking tall. Let’s give the man who made it all possible another term to strengthen the foundations of peace, and bring back unity and prosperity which have been denied us so long, thanks to the unpatriotic and unstatesmanlike antics of many of our leaders of the past who are still striving to plunge us back into chaos.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ For once, forget party politics and face the facts! Now, more than ever, the country needs honest reasoning on the part of her patriotic sons and daughters.