UNP, JVP and pro-LTTE Tamil website says, ‘Defeat Rajapaksa’
Dr. P.A. Samaraweera
In an interview to a Sri Lankan Daily on 17th Jan. Ranil had said
that the TNA leader Sampanthan, met Gen. Fonseka and he gave him the 10
point Program which had been approved by all parties supporting him.
With regard to Ranil’s meeting with Sampanthan he had added,
“...Other issues which resolve to power sharing and all the matters are
up to the Parliament and not Gen. Fonseka because he would cease to be
the Executive President and he has no political party to back him...”
So basically what he said was once the incumbent President is
defeated Gen.(Retd) Fonseka will hand over the reins to Ranil and pack
his bags! This is very unlikely because Gen. Fonseka had declared that
he decided to retire as the post given to him was toothless. He is after
power.
Thus it appears that in the Opposition camp there seems to be so much
uncertainty and trust. The UNP wants to get back on the saddle by
whatever means. The TNA which represented the LTTE wants to merge the
North and East. Now they say they are quite happy with the alliance and
Sarath Fonseka despite his comment, “...Tamils and Muslims must learn to
live as minorities in a land owned by the majority Sinhalese...”
With the 10 point Program there seems to be some concern from other
quarters. Two points in the Program are a) Relocation of the high
Security Zones in the North and b) General amnesty to the LTTE fighters.
Another issue discussed is the merging of the North and the East.
Commenting on the 10 point Program the pro-LTTE Tamil Website says,
“...Rajapaksa and Fonseka are two sides of the same coin - Sinhala
chauvinism. We have no great expectation from Fonseka but want to use
him to defeat Rajapaksa at any cost... Use one diamond to cut
another...use his own general as a weapon to hit back and defeat him...”
This is exactly what the UNP and the JVP says, ‘Defeat Rajapaksa at
any cost’, obviously because he ended the war and brought peace to the
country!
As against this, here is an extract from the Editorial of the
Independent Indian Newspaper ‘Pioneer’ of 16th January. “...The
subcontinents experience with soldiers turned politicians-turned rulers
has been extremely been traumatic and we definitely do not need a (Retd.)
General as a President in our neighbourhood, no matter what path he
chooses to enter high office. Sri Lanka would do well to reject Gen.
Fonseka and re-elect President Rajapaksa, not least because the latter
has demonstrated his ability to rid the country of an ailment that
plagued it for quarter of a century. His administrative skills are known
as are his credentials. To reject him at the hustings would be to ignore
his huge contribution to restoring peace to the nation after prolonged
civil war. He deserves to win...”
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