Regime change by the oppostion, the west and LTTE sympathisers back-fired
Posted on January 27th, 2010
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
With the end of the war Gen.(Rtd.) Fonseka became a national hero and an idol of the massesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ overnight. He commanded great respect wherever he went irrespective of party affiliations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Because of his popularity when the media asked him in one of their interviews if he would like to get involved in politics his reply was in the negative. But apparently he had greed for power.
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Later he made a u-turn, and he was sponsored ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as a common candidate for the Presidential election.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Thus a crucial and bitterly fought election ended on Tuesday with a victory for the incumbent President by a majority of nearly 60 per cent.
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In this election, the President wonƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 20 out of the 22 districts. He lost Jaffna and Batticaloa. This was a vote for theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ TNA which was the mouth piece of the LTTE. LTTE sympathisers have very quickly forgotten that their children under the LTTE regime were child soldiers but now they walk aroundƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with books instead of carrying arms. They have short memories.
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In the Nov. 2005 election, the President won 11 districts while the opposition leader RanilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ won 11 and he had only a thin majority. But this time his popularity has increased in leaps and bounds.
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This victory is a set back for the opposition, the west and the LTTE sympathisers who manipulated a regime change. In the eyes of the west the President is ‘not one of their men’. Because he did the unimaginable and dented the US and UK foreign policies by not negotiating a truce with the inivincible LTTE. The President let the war take its course.
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As the President did not dance to the tune of those who tried to scuttle the war these groups used, ‘one diamond to cut another diamond’ – set Gen. Fonseka against the President.
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But it did not work either. The President had won by an overwhelming majority.
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Gen. Fonseka will have a place in history books as part of the team which led the country to victory against the LTTE. But not as the person who should get the sole credit for winning the 30 year war.
January 28th, 2010 at 2:42 am
Dear Dr.P.A.Samaraweera
I too am very happy and proud that our Mahinda is again elected as our president.
But you made a mistake by writing “In this election, the President won 20 out of the 22 districts. ”
He won in 16 districts and not 20.
Please see the full results here :
http://www.srilankanelections.com/results/results-main.shtml
R.B.Ratnayake
January 28th, 2010 at 3:42 am
Gen. Fonseka is assured of his place in history as the Genreal who led the war effort with great success under the poitical leadership of President Rajapakse. However, he could lose all respect among the Sri Lankans, not by losing an election but by dancing to a foreign tune.
January 28th, 2010 at 6:16 am
I agree with Ram 2009. I think the good General should take some time off and have a good think about things. And maybe he will realise that he has been blinded, through his egotism and the flattery of those encouraging him (because without him they could not hope to achieve anything) from seeing reality. He has fought a good fight and lost. Now, he needs to be modest enough – and man enough – to accept his defeat with grace. Rather than whinge and complain he should be happy that with a mere 40 days of political experience he has been able to give the incumbent President, with more than 40 years of political experience, a decent run. And that is a lot more than the Ranil Wickremasinghes and the Somawansas could even dare to dream to do. Sarath Fonseka has not been disgraced by losing the election. The country recognises that. But if he continues to complain and sulk and carry on like a sore loser, the country will soon lose respect for him.