The news headings of the weekend really disturbed me as a peace loving pro-democracy citizen. I was disturbed by the statements in some parts of the press regarding the possibility of General Sarath Fonseka coming forward as a common candidate of the opposition to contest the presidential elections.
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| General Fonseka |
The country was facing one of its potentially finest periods with the end of the 30 year war. We were looking towards a future where the only logical impediment we had towards being the next Singapore was taken away. However, dark clouds are building again with a potential clash between the two key figures of the war – the President and the Chief of Defence Staff.
General Fonseka has been a fearless soldier who led the war effort in a very effective manner. We owe him so much. As much as we honour him and respect him as a soldier, we must also remember he is no politician. The army requires a set of different skills to leading a nation. Leading an army is being the unquestionable leader of a disciplined force. The two jobs are totally different.
My question is not to debate whether Gen. Fonseka has the necessary skills to lead the country or not but a wider issue. Sri Lanka along with India has managed to keep military and politics separate.
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| President Rajapaksa |
However our other neighbours have had periodic military interference in Government. Pakistan, Bangladesh have had regular military- led upheavals, Myanmar has a military regime suppressing democracy. Even Thailand is a country where day-to-day Government was disrupted by military interference. The question is whether we go down that path ourselves.
We cannot jump from the frying pan into the fire. If our current leadership has failed we must redress it through a democratic framework by voting for a civilian candidate. Let us not open the floodgates for long term anarchy by supporting this type of change. It is not Gen. Fonseka we must fear but the process of mixing politics and military.
Ravi Fernando,
Colombo 5 |
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