If the Tamils vote for the General he may win
By Lal Wickrematunge
For little Sri Lanka, 2009 was a year of celebration and heart break. The aftermath of an improbable victory against the LTTE brought a massive wave of support from the Sinhala majority to President Mahinda Rajapakse.
The Tamils were dumbfounded. In a near thirty year period of the LTTE’s dominance, the Tamil community, though not by choice, looked upto the LTTE to bring about devolution or some semblance of self rule in the North and East of the country. With the end of the war, a vacuum has been created even amongst the Tamil moderate polity. This has yet to be filled.
Large cut-outs and posters of the president flanked by his brothers and the heads of the tri-forces appeared on the skyline of this tiny resplendent island. That President Rajapakse was deified would be an understatement. Meanwhile the equally popular commander of the army, Sarath Fonseka was being retired. The general was irked and whispers were emanting from informed persons that he was a very disappointed man. An astrologer who predicted that there would be serious changes in the political firmament in the country with the advent of a new face was promptly arrested and later released.The cut-outs and posters depicting the general, even in the company of the president, began to come down, only to be replaced by more of a solitary president and his siblings.
The cracks deepened before long and the left wing JVP made initial forays to rope in the general into politics together with the now ousted Mangala Samaraweera, a former minister of foreign affairs and telecommunications in the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge government in which President Rajapakse was the prime minister. Mangala Samaraweera was the architect in spearheading the victory of President Rajapakse in his first term when he led the campaign with the JVP, but was soon sidelined and family members of the Rajapakse clan jostled and took control of the most important positions in the Rajapakse government of 2005.
President Rajapakse had been coercing members of the United National Party of the opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, to defect to the government ranks and were promptly rewarded with ministerial portfolios. That President Rajapakse ruled over the largest cabinet of ministers (over a hundred) was not lost on the hapless public, now burdened with the fall out of a global recession and rising prices.
Though many expected Ranil Wickremesinghe to run for the presidency when it was hinted that the president would call for one after four of his six years (he is legally entitled to do so), in a deft move the joint opposition thrust General (Retd) Sarath Fonseka as their common candidate.The rudderless opposition was given a new lease of life. The United National Party, bruised and battered by the provincial council elections, was up beat. The fractured JVP was jubilant. The very slogan on which President Rajapakse campaigned (the war victory) had now, at best, to be shared. A shocked government resorted to lampooning a war hero which turned the sympathy factor in favour of the retired general. People started questioning the government: “If they could treat the general in this fashion, how would they treat us?”
That General Fonseka was asked to quit his official residence when he did not have a house fit enough to live, annoyed the public. The general was thus portrayed to be an honest officer as against a century of corrupt ministers led by one family. A hint at a possible coup by the general and the response by the Indian government in helping the current regime was soon found to be hoax. Initial reports show that President Rajapakse will not have a cake walk at this election. The respective polls show a close fight and only in the coming weeks, a clearer picture if at all would emerge. General (Retd) Sarath Fonseka drew first blood when he filed and publicised his declaration of assets when handing over nominations on the December 17. The president failed to do so.
The government’s bashing of the West to appease the local market has come to haunt them in the form of the European Union withholding the GSP plus facility, through which as many as 7000 products were exempt from duty to the EU countries. The suppression of the media at the height of the war continues, but now it’s for political benefit. As many as eleven journalists have been murdered, over twenty have been abducted, assaulted and scores have fled the country. Self censorship and the resultant apathy have surprised more democratic nations and this island in now scraping at the bottom of the barrel where freedom of expression is concerned.
This election is going to be bruising battle between two patriots and the island is going to emerge fractured after the election. Already, charges and counter charges are being traded. The minority Tamils are more confused. Both front runners are prime movers in the war against the LTTE. It was the absence of the Tamil vote at the behest of Velupillai Prabhakaran that saw President Rajapakse defeat Ranil Wickremesinghe at the last Presidential elections.To abstain at this election would be unthinkable, but they are between a rock and a hard place. Having been confined to camps against their will, they are disillusioned.
If Ranil Wickremesinghe is able to get the die hard UNP vote bank to go to the polling station and the JVP gets the grass roots campaign into gear, which they are famed for, President Rajapakse has a fight on his hands. But the die will be cast if the Tamils vote for the general. If that becomes a reality, he may win. Will General Sarath Fonseka abolish the all-consuming powerful position of the Executive Presidency ( President Rajapakse also promised to do so in his Mahinda Chintanaya manifesto in 2005) and concentrate on removing corruption if he wins, or will it be “more of the same” if President Rajapakse wins a second term? The answer will be known by the January 27, 2010.
(The writer is managing editor of "The Sunday Leader"in Colombo)
11 Comments
"...In a near 30yr period of LTTEs dominance, the Tamil community - though not by choice - looked upon the LTTE to bring about devolution or some semblance of self-rule in the North-East of the country..."
This carefully structured remark - coming from the pen of a leading newsppaper -should in some form mitigate the mischievous and ill-considered charge ALL
Tamils were with the LTTE and subscribe to its savage excesses. All what the Tamils, ask as a people, is their inalienable right to take care of their affairs in the NEP - as allowed to all other Provinces in the country. This has been denied on various flimsy grounds for the past 23 years and one hopes wisdom will soon prevail. One sees today signs of accomodation from the Sinhala side. "The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining" is a JFK gem that fits in to our present times when even the JHU/JVP and the Sinhala suprenacist cabal are ready to climb dowb from their heights of prejudice. Barring a few hundred who were part and parcel of the LTTE establishment, all other Tamils had thoughts of their own - qualitatively different from the dictatorial stand of the tigers in the post-1987 part of the Tamil struggle.
ISS
Having entered a decisive phase of history the Tamils now have the role of deciding the future of this nation. Most likely just as at the last Presidential Elections the vote will be split down the middle with the Tamils having to play the deciding factor. Hence Tamils should vote and decide between the two major contestants.
We have before us Mahinda Rajapakse and his record of 4 years during the war as well as his conduct during the last 6 months of postwar period. We can see his present conduct during this election as well as the reasons for holding this elections 2 years before the due date. Also we can judge a person by the company he keeps. Can we trust him to settle the problems of the minorities when he is backed by extreme elements from the clergy, JHU and JNF.
On the other hand we have General Sarath Fonseka, a Military man untouched by corruption, a good strategist and leader. Despite a statement he made in the past which he has withdrawn and repudiated. He is backed by moderate, relatively clean and honest parties. Hence it is imperative that Tamils exercise their franchise for their own future as well as the good of the nation.
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Prabhakaran prefered Mahinda Rajapakse (pragmatic leader) over Ranil (Fox?).
Therefore LTTE supporters must vote for MR.
:-)
Good analysis. Would like to add some of my thoughts too. For a person who just got into politics, SF is doing incredibly well, as at present leading more than a man who had been in politics for over 40 long years. The fundamental mistakes MR made was to let his siblings dip into his political coffers erasing his 40 years of political achievements, if any. The moment people like Mervyn the vermin makes his appearance and opens his trap he loses votes. The moment he accommodates people like SB he loses support from his own party stalwarts. Is it a result of "Mathata Heta" rather than "Mathata Thitha" confused with the un-understandable "Tharunyata Heta"?
Why, oh. why he is committing "hra-kiri"?
The only answer I can come up with is that his destiny is calling him of which he had no time to think about as fate would decree!
One thing the you Sri Lankan Singalease need to realise is that All tamils may not be LTTE but many Tamils supported them even if they were not 100% agree with LTTE's method's. LTTE is manifestation the tamils misery. Causes by the Racist Government and
their supporter. Now Tamils might vote against Rajapaksha Regime but it would be stupid to think see goodness in the General. After all he executed the order to
fire sheels and bombs on to Tamil civilians. Tmails know very None of the candiates
are going to solve the ethnic question in sri lanka.
Tamils are in dilemma never before in history of Srilanka.We have to choose between nationalist and ultra.If we look at the track record of Sarath he seems to be a dangerous man,not long ago he said Srilanka belongs to Sinhalese only and we cannot risk another six years.MR brothers may be corrupted but who is not corrupted.MR is a experienced politician,he is close to India SO there is a chance for a political solution for Tamils.Tamils also has to come out of separate state concept or the Tamil home land.Tamils must work closely with Sinhalese leaders get something workable in Srilanka.Tamil leaders must stop confrontation politics.Last 50 some years Tamils failed because of our mistakes and policy.Now we have to find a new strategy and at least save the what ever left over,whether we like it or not we have to live with Sinhalese.No external force will come to help Tamils that's the geopolitical reality.
Fonseka would already have won if the writer's editor, Fredrica Janz didn't wilfully mess up things for the General. That is why there is a fight.
Fonseka will be remembered for generations if he does the following;
1.Fonseka need not abolish the Executive presidency, all he need to do is to cancel the entire prisident's budget, close down the the President's fund.
2.Limit his own security to a small contingent,and lead a non extravagant life.
3.Remove security in toto to all ministers,and no more duty free vehicles to any one.
4.Try all corrupt minister's and officials by a trial at bar process.
5.Make all Govt. institutions accessible to all, without political preference, and judge every thing on merit, not interference.
Who cares what Tamils think... who cares who they vote for? They have made themselves insignificant. They supported the DESTRUCTION of OUR COUNTRY... and they FAILED... they LOST. They no longer matter, they no longer count. They are the LOSERS. They need to spend the next 2 Decades making the Sinhalese believe they are not TRAITORS anymore. That is the COLD HARD REALITY of their PREDICAMENT.
It is up to Tamils to PROVE to the rest of Sri Lanka that they are no longer TERRORISTS and that they are no longer UNTRUSTWORTHY... if they cannot then it is WOE for them...
Devinda,
I wonder why Tamils fought for Eelam when they can have the whole island, just showing vote in one hand and money ($) in the other. See, SF undressed the top, soon MR will do the bottom as well, in Jaffna.
Devinda Fernando,
Dog which barks but unable to bite, but liftes its hind leg what ever see any thing seen as LTTE, Tamil or terrorism.
*** Dog which barks but unable to bite, ***
LOL! You Tamil "DOGS" have been barking at us for 30 years now... let me know when you plan to bite.