Over 25 DNA organizers support Government:
Comrades-in-arms desert Fonseka
Chaminda PERERA
Over 26 retired military officers in the Sri Lanka Army who played a
leading role in Sarath Fonseka’s Presidential election campaign and
General election yesterday joined the Government in contempt of
Fonseka’s conduct during the post election period.
They voiced their anger over Fonseka’s failure to look into the
problem of the fellow Co-ordinators at national and district level after
the elections.
A large number of candidates who contested the General election under
DNA were also among these retired military officials.
These retired military officers vowed that they supported Fonseka as
he was a retired military officer who did a service to the country and
they would not support any political party.
“We supported him merely because he is a retired military officer and
we will extend the same support to Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
if he contests the election as he is also a retired military officer.”
They were speaking at a press conference at the Nippon Hotel yesterday.
According to Major Samantha Kalyanaratne, DNA Leader Sarath Fonseka
danced to the tune of the JVP whose policies do not comply with that of
theirs under any circumstances.
Kalyanaratne said the JVP members paved way for their defeat in the
Kegalle district by resorting to various means and ways.
He said the JVP should be responsible for hiding his posters, cutouts
and leaflets in fear of his victory at the last general election and
Sarath Fonseka failed to take any action against them. The JVP was very
unpopular when the SF joined them and it took advantage of Fonseka’s
popularity as a war hero to swell their ailing voter base.
Speaking on the occasion, Major Nishanthan Mallikarachi added that a
number of retired military officers who were attached to Fonseka’s
security were detained by the CID and Fonseka did not take any action on
their behalf.
He said that the hilarious thing is that Fonseka who failed to launch
a fast unto death campaign demanding the release of his fellow officers
in the election campaign was about to begin a fast requesting an
opportunity to speak to his daughter. He did not have an iota of concern
for his fellow officers and their families who underwent immense
problems after the Presidential and general elections, he added.
Certain officers who worked hard for Fonseka during the Presidential
and general election were barred from entering his office after he
became a puppet of the JVP, Mallikarachchi said. Major Udaya Dissanayake
who obtained the highest number of preferential votes from the Matara
district at the last General election said Fonseka or the party did not
take any action when he was detained by Deniyaya Police on the eve of
the election. He added that he decided to join hands with the true hero
of the country. “The true hero is none other than President Mahinda
Rajapaksa,” he said.
He added that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa deserves the full
credit for defeating terrorism. He made changes in the military
hierarchy and provided facilities and equipment for the victory of
Security Forces, he said. |