Fonseka Will Be Common Candidate
Sarath Fonseka, 58, the retired former Army Commander, has been confirmed as the Common Candidate to contest the next presidential election. He will represent the opposition coalition, led by the United National Party, known as the United National Front. The arrival of the retired general is set to bring a whole new dimesnion to elections on the island of Sri Lanka, with both the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Fonseka claiming credit for defeating the rebel LTTE. The kingmakers backing Fonseka have vowed to amend or abolish the Executive Presidency with little delay.
THE TAMILS MUST DECIDE BETWEEN TWO DEVILS – MAHINDA AND SARATH
BOTH KILLED THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT TAMILS TO ACHIVE THEIR OWN GLORY. BOTH BROUGHT HATERD BETWEEN THE SINHALESE MAJORITY AND THE TAMIL MINORITY.
You idiot. WHAT ABOUT PRABAH. SF AND MR DID WHAT IS TO BE DONE FOR ALL SAKE. WITHOUT KEEPING THE WAR AS A Beggar’s WOUND.
actualy DID YOU HAVE FUN WITH LTTE?
hope so, same as we had fun with all the dead UNP & SLFP politicians.
So why did you clowns did not vote in the last Elections ? At those elections Mahinda was a new candidate and Ranil was a known candidate. You though you could beat an unknown candidate but things went wrong for you. When you are given the liberty to vote, you could not vote or did not vote, so why cry now… Atleast Mahinda has freed the people from North so they they will no longer experience a life long harassment. Whether he could drive the country forward is what you need to think at this stage. Or if you think another leader like prabakaran will come again “sometime” later – Good Luck .
Fazil,
do u think LTTE allowed the people in the north n east to vote. If u step out of the house to vote, u get shot.
LTTE dug its own grave, good for them.
But guess minorities should vote for sarath.
minorities dont need another prabhakaran, lets not repeat a mistake. Prabhakaran should have easily got a political solution for the minorities in ranil’s peace time but he wanted a separate country and ended up getting nothing.
Subramaniam, sarath is better than MR and family,
cant stand another 6 years of dictatorship rule of MR.
Sarath will abolish the executive presidential system.
People from north and east, for god sake vote for sarath without boycotting the elections as usual. U end up getting nothing by boycotting elections anymore.
dont dug ur own grave like LTTE.
Mr Subramanium – At least the whole of Lanka no more have to pick between the Biggest evil Prabhakaran. He not only destroyed the South but all the Northern Tamil people too. Right?
What did he achieve for Tamil people for all the evil he carried out for 28 years?Just tell me one please.
Out of the two devils one should be better. At least now there is a chance for Sinhalese and Tamil masses to unite. Earlier under “Praba” hatered was cultivated, and Tamils had been brought to their doom. Yet not completely free don’t you think there is a ray of hope that things for the minority could be better. We have to forget the past and give the future a chance, as we all know how both sided suffered. 30 years is a long time and let the young generation live not what we underwent.
Good Luck – Sarath Fonseka, Do or Die, we are with you. All we want is a democratic government that is impossible with Rajapakse.
already he is a conman
election..whether its provincial,general,whatever it is…people continue to give the verdict..this time again once your common candidate defeated,
‘Mr. fairose’ dont blame the poor voters saying that democracy is impossible b’cos of the common voters in this couintry
Even though I don’t agree with SF contesting the Presidential election, I respect his right to contest the election as a Sri Lankan citizen (not as American green card holder).
However, he is laying the foundation for the next conflict and intervention of the foreign powers in our country.
THe future president must mention he will abolish the post of president ,democraticy will well safguard there wont be politics in governt office. .trade union right place.. freedom of media, journalism, mr.Rajapaska government treated the oppersition is an enmey. tamils are slaves. judicial politicis. 17th ammemt was violated, we lost all credibities with foreign countries.GSP lost. we srilankan was isolated t o westran countries. mr.Rajapaska impunity, killing from white house,He and his cabinet members made illegal money,
So for the Tamils it is Hobson’s choise. I am just wondering what can the Tamils do to win their freedom or as MR and SF wants be satisfied with the crumbs that are dropping. Tamil votes have no value At nation level will there be a change?.
Tamils do not have to wait for the crumbs to be dropped. Before the LTTE, Jaffna farmer is the richest farmer in Sri Lanka. May be he was the materially richest in the world with a quality life. They were well educated but waiting for the govt to provide them the jobs. I got news for you. Even Sinhalese had to wait for the govt to provide them the job. Sinhalese were too many. In fact it caused the 1971 JVP uprising. Not a single Tamil affected by it and when the govt brought in standadisation, every single Tamil was screeming. They took up arms, instead of helping the country by developing it, along with the Sinhalese. Are you telling me that well educated Tamils really did not know this? They knew it and they knew what should be done. Instead, they encouraged their youths to destroy the country, with the help of India. Now, their India helped the SL govt to squash their uprising, it is a different story (so much for the Tamils’ “Mother India”). Do you really think average Sinhalese can trust any Tamil to develop the country? Now Sinhalese have to do it alone. When they do it, Tamils have to accept the crumps because that is what they deserve.
KALAG,
wow…thats a one hell of an awesome racist speech.
wat happened in 83, burning the tamil people and their property? JVP fueled the LTTE and made it a giant and now had to fight for 30 years to defeat it.
One single race cant develop the country alone, coz there will be no unity in the country and will end up like soviet union. north, east, south and west. country into 4 pieces.
to prevent that, should ask racist people like u to keep quite. give the political rights minorities deserve and then develop the country.
The army chief said once that the country is only for sinhala people and other people can live as guests in Srilanka. How can the army man be the president of the guests?
What is wrong with what SF said? Tamils are living as guests in France, Germany, Swiss and other European countries. Do you complain about the presidents of those countries? Look at Malaysia. The Tamils live there with the Malays who are just over 55%. Malays have priority in everything. Sinhalese are over 73% in Sri Lanka. What political rights that Tamils do not have? They control large part of the private businesses. They have own universities. They elect their MPs. Under the constitution, they have the power to select (not elect) the president. They are majority in the world compared to Sinhalese. They have large cultural link in India. They have large economic and moral support from diaspora Tamils. They have everything but the majority vote in Sri Lanka. Shouldn’t they be satisfied with what they have, instead of being greedy?
I understood now. He can plan well same as he did in the war front and win the presidential election to abolish it
KALAG,
wow…u must be a guy from the down south.
i can smell the concentrated racism in ur speech.
Fifth century BC – Indo-Aryan migrants from northern India settle on the island; the Sinhalese emerge as the most powerful of the various clans.
Third century BC – Beginning of Tamil migration from India.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1166237.stm.
tamils are in this land from third BC unlike indians in malaysia who r there for only 250 years.
so u cant compare both.
tamil kings have ruled north and east in sri lanka for thousands of years unlike indians in malaysia.
so we r no visitors and all we need is equal rights to every citizen in this country regardless of race.
just like in singapore.
Tamil people living in frace , swiss, germany not as visitors, specially in canada. they have equal rights as the white people, not like in sri lanka,
so dont tell us about percentage of malays and Sinhalese
SARTH! PLESE LET US KNOW YOUR POLICIES REGARDING THE MINORITIES: TAMILS, MUSLIMS AND BURGHERS. YOU HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT, THIS COUNTRY BELONGS TO THE SINHALA BUDDHISTS.
OVER 20,000 TAMILS BEEN KILLED BY YOUR ARMY AT MULLI VAIKKAL RECENTLY AND ANOTHER 300,000 TAMILS BEHIND BARBED WIRE FENCE WITHOUT BASIC FACILITIES. WORLD LEADERS HAD CONDEMNED THIS ACTION AND COMPARED THIS WORSE THAN HITLER’S NAZISM.
Commander in Chief has to answer some of your questions. Sarath Fonseka did his best to rescue 300000 tamils. Sarath Fonseka said this country belongs to Sinhalese when he was a Army Commander without a political ambition. There are well oiled politician who said the same but in different way. Rajapakse regime has so far not revealed the APRC conclusions. This government is toeing both hardline and moderate. Camillean government, changes colour to suit the environment. No policy only interest that is cling on to power by hook or by crook.
yes..the opposition do not have any policy to deal with ..there only intention is to chace away MR..they(JVP and UNP) can even join up with pirabaharan (fortunately he is no more).to achieve that..and cling on to the power..no plans and do not think about the consequences afterwards…my dear commom voters think about a place where Mono,Hakeem,mangala,ranil and somawansa on a same platform ..will our country go ahead with this sort of moderates and hardliners..
Go ask that stupid lier weerawansa who fool you guys who are living in dreamland of wonderful things.
Looking at the comments here, it is clear that 1) there is a great desire for a change in the State’s administration, and 2) the nomination of General Fonseka is seen with mixed feelings. On the latter, one comment is that SF represents a totally novel dimension in that he was never a people’s political representative prior to these hustings, and so, having served the public as an army officer and commander, under whose leadership the LTTE was finally defeated militarilly, SF brings a fresh approach to complement that of the formation of the UNF.
What is important is that , given his public service career and proven loyalty to the State, SF must be seen as representing the UNF and its policy, its proposals for enhancing the democratic State of Lanka, and its conditions SF has agreed to be bound by in accepting the common presidential candidature status.
The UNF represents the natural evolution, one might say, of where the UNP leaves off. Let’s get this straight. The UNP, more than just a politcal party, was the natural political outgrowth of the Ceylon National Congress, which successfully unified all communities and interest sections of the Lankan populace and obtained independence with peaceful and intelligent deliberations with the British.
In its political evolution through 1947, 1952, 1965, 1977, 1982, 1989 and 2001, the UNP has gone through the natural process of high’s and low’s, and pursuant to the rise of communal politics after 1956, it had a new challenge to unify the nation’s plurality and ensure socio-economic development as the SLFP made it impossible to do what was right and progressive for fear of ‘politcal fallout.’ This is true of economic measures, emplyment relations, as well as, language and education issues.
We believe that the parties and groups that have come together today, have realised the critical need for national reconciliation and policies for good governance and national progress. Therefore, while groups may identify themselves individually, they also agree to come together under a common or nationally united front (UNF) for political representation in the national legislature and executive. This can indeed pave the way for a truly ‘national legislature’ system, based on merit of representatives, and ideally, one where, people, no matter what party they represent, take on the responsible role of national representation once elected!
The letter and spirit of section 29 of the independence constitution that its worthy makers enshrined to ensure the equality of all kindred sections of our community protected the individual liberties and national character of this land remarkably well. The fundamental rights chapters introduced in lieu of section 29 in the 1972 and 1978 constituions witnessed the worst violations and infringements of the basic liberties and the right to be protected in life and limb!
This proves one thing. The protection of human liberties cannot be assured by laudable words in written documents, They must be accompanied by well-meaning individuals who command the critical segments of government, and perform public service! If education cannot ensure that we continue to produce such worthies, we must critically reevaluate our education policies and curricula, and training in the public services.
No matter what criticism may be levelled against the late Rt Hon DS Senanayake, he did not field any unworthy to succeed him. All will agree that in the late Hon Dudley Senanayake, this country saw a decent, honourable, liberal democrat and superior human being!
What the late SWRDB could not do was to have patience and serve the nation no-matter who led the UNP. His departure from the UNP and the advent into the SLFP, therefore, smacks of illwill, hatred and jealousy. And if one looks objectively at what all SLFP led governments from 1956 had done, one could see a reflection of these lesser motives in national politics and administration! From the myopic ‘nationalisation’ actions, the dismantling of a strong and growing private entreneurship and ownership based economy, the relegation of English as an international language skill, and the reduction of the superior public service into a politicised morass, it is evident that the SLFP-led governments brought national ruin.
The land and housing reforms will show that it was the Sinhalese themselves that lost most! This was purely to weaken the support base of the UNP! There is not much point in talking about the post 1994 SLFP led administrations under CBK and MR – their misdeeds are fresh in our minds.
Only emphasize that the CFA under the Hon RW attempted sincerely to create an honourable peace without bloodshed for all concerned, and we know how his government of 2001 was sacked to accommodate myopic and ‘nationaist’ forces. So, on the whole, what has passed for ‘nationalist interest’ in Lanka has largely been self-defeatist in any objective analysis. And what of the costs, and what better use they could have been put to?
Where do we go from here?
We do not know what manner or form the leadership will want to steer the UNF when elected, but we earnestly hope that the spirit of section 29 of the independence constitution, even if not in letter, will come into its own and help create high standards of political conduct and valuable conventions for future parliaments.
It is in this context that we now need to affirm our faith in this broad alliance of politcal parties, and hope that constituent members will each be the checks and balances for none to veer off the course into what we have seen as dictatorial pursuits, and disregarding fundamental rights and liberties of the peoples, and norms of good governance and the rule of law.
We sincerely look forward to the good General being an exemplary leader who together with the capable and honourable political leadership of the Hon Ranil Wickremasinghe and all the leaders like the Hon Mangala Samaraweera, Mano Ganesan, Rauf Hakeem and others of all the constituent parties, and those of the JVP, who have thought that ‘enough was enough,’ of debilitating party politcs and the low levels it descended to over 60 years, and have come together to create a truly progressive national legislature, will serve Lanka with honesty and sincerity.
We wish the UNF’s electoral campaign under the leadership of the good General and the Hon RW every success and blessing to steer this land to peace, sanity, decency and prosperity.
May all be safe and well.
ALL FOR THE GENERAL
By: Audrey Barber
All for the General We will March
All for the General we shall Vote
All for the General, All for the General
We go marching along
Marching to a different beat
A beat that sounds – JUSTICE!!! For all
A beat that sounds – FREDDOM from Corruption
While the General Forges breaking barriers
We shall March along
All for the General All for the General
We salute the Nation!
Break the barrier General,
Cross that bridge and take over
I command you General
A daughter of a HERO who fought the World War II
Go on and do it General
The masses march with you
Don’t be afraid General
Don’t give up the fight,
The war you won Oh General
But the battle still goes on
Fight the Good Fight General
The best Man will always win
But in dirty Polictics General
It’s the good that they destroy
So while you bring down barriers
Watch your back Oh General
They want you hook, line & sinker!
So do be careful Dear General
Don’t let them get to you
We cannot loose you General
You need to fight our fight
I am telling you General
A daughter of a HERO who fought the World War II
I am telling you General they killed my Fiancée too
I a daughter of a HERO who fought the World War II
Will give my vote to YOU!
“kumanthrana,kumanthrana”if a person comes to election democratically how the hell it will be a kumanthrana.what will amarica or europe achive doing kumanthrana in srilanka.don’t they have their own problums.the real culprit kumanthrana people are people who are by the name of petrioty who are robing the tax money and bulding palaces wasting public money,taking commitions and doing cheap work,do not law and order to prevail.