Operation destabilization
The Opposition that accepted the election to be fair
has now retracted its position. The NDF candidate, the loser
claims that he was denied victory by fraudulent means. The JVP
in chorus repeats the same.
They claim that the rigging was not by stuffing ballot boxes
and intimidating the voters but by more sophisticated methods.
They charge that the Counting Officers entered wrong data to
computers to get a desired result.
This is an indictment against the entire public service. Sri
Lankan public service has been acclaimed for its efficiency and
integrity in conducting elections. No political leader accused
them of any fraud before.
All accusations were against candidates and their parties.
This is the first time such charges have been brought forward.
These claims are preposterous and ridiculous.
It would have been simply impossible to hoodwink the
Elections Commissioner, an experienced officer with integrity
and carry out such a large scale fraud with the participation of
a large number of Counting Officers to get a majority of 1.8
million.
Incidentally, the ground was prepared for these preposterous
charges by spreading a rumour through SMS messages and otherwise
that the Elections Commissioner was being kept under arrest at
Temple Trees while the counting was going on.
It is also part of the disinformation campaign that has been
unleashed with the connivance of the foreign press and certain
foreign embassies.
It is now apparent that the modus operandi of the Opposition
was to organize street protests in the capital coupled with a
siege of strategic institutions if the result was a narrow win
for President.
The occupation of a city hotel by the NDF candidate and his
large retinue of armed personnel on the election night was an
attempt to house the headquarters of a coup d’etat there.
The foreign press was kept standing by to feed the world with
developments. Actually false information was fed to the world
media from the hotel on the election night. They were taken up
by the world media and spread world wide. Several governments
too have commented on the elections based on these false
reports.
It is clear that the Opposition having failed in its attempt
to grab power forcibly by creating a situation of anarchy
following the elections has now started a campaign to do so
following the forthcoming general election. The public should be
vigilant about attempts by the Opposition to destabilize the
country.
Already the Asian Human Rights Watch has expressed doubts
whether Sri Lanka is capable of holding free and fair elections.
Such voices would multiply in the near future. Sri Lanka’s
detractors would intensify their propaganda in order to
influence the outcome of the general election or intervene
directly in it.
Sri Lanka is a sovereign nation. It can conduct its affairs,
including elections without outside mediation. To invite foreign
meddling is to surrender the nation’s sovereignty.
Unfortunately, the Opposition seems to be inclined to pawn the
country’s sovereignty for political gain.
The President at a meeting with Editors and media Heads the
day before yesterday appealed to the media to act responsibly
and not use the media to create a situation where the society
would be plunged into communal or other clashes. He questioned
the practice of certain media institutions that were openly
spreading misinformation and inciting hatred and violence.
Instead of attempting to destabilize the country by
propagating wild accusations and preparing for street
demonstrations and sieges it could use the opportunity that
would open up with the dissolution of Parliament to conduct
principled politics in order to build up on the base they
consolidated during the Presidential election. The retired
General is also welcome to do so.
However, there is a real possibility of the discarded
politicians trying to stage a Second Edition of the failed
attempt to seize power following the general election that is
scheduled to be held soon. People’s vigilance and strict
enforcement of law and order, however, could thwart it too. |