Regime change by the opposition, the west and LTTE sympathisers back-fired

Dr. P.A. Samaraweera Australia

With the end of the war Gen.(Rtd.) Fonseka became a national hero and an idol of the masses overnight. He commanded great respect wherever he went irrespective of party affiliations. 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.

Later he made a u-turn, and he was sponsored as a common candidate for the Presidential election. 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.

In this election, the President won 20 out of the 22 districts. He lost Jaffna and Batticaloa.

This was a vote for the 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 around with books instead of carrying arms. They have short memories.

In the Nov. 2005 election, the President won 11 districts while the opposition leader Ranil won 11 and he had only a thin majority. But this time his popularity has increased in leaps and bounds.

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.

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.

But it did not work either. The President had won by an overwhelming majority.

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.