President Rajapakse suggests overwhelming mandate makes war crimes inquiry unnecessary
A VICTORIOUS Mahinda Rajapakse has vowed to put tensions with Western critics behind him and transform his war-ravaged nation into a development and tourism hub after his landslide win in Sri Lanka's first post-conflict presidential poll.
But the Sri Lankan President warned Western nations pushing for an international inquiry into alleged war crimes committed by both sides in the last months of the civil war with the separatist Tamil Tigers. "The overwhelming mandate given in this election has given the answer to these critics," he said yesterday.
"The people of Sri Lanka, democratically and very clearly, have shown that they are now free of threats, free of fear, free of terrorism - and they have shown they support the measures which have freed them."
Mr Rajapakse won a second six-year presidential term by a giant and largely unexpected margin of 1.8 million votes, ahead of his main challenger, former army chief Sarath Fonseka. General Fonseka was believed to be in hiding yesterday after a day of melodrama in which he accused the military of placing him under house arrest in a Colombo hotel and the government of orchestrating his assassination by withdrawing his security detail. He hinted he would seek political asylum.
General Fonseka has called for the election to be annulled, alleging vote rigging and government abuse of state resources during the campaign.
But it was unclear who would conduct such an investigation after Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissnayanke, the only man empowered to do so, pleaded to be released from his role saying: "I can't bear this any longer".
Under the present executive presidency, Mr Rajapakse has authority to make all important state appointments including the election commissioner and police chief.
Many analysts yesterday predicted the size of the victory would prove decisive in the April parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka - a country where there is little shame in changing allegiances - and cement his hold on power.
While General Fonseka has vowed to rally street protests against the result, National Peace Council executive director Jehan Perera said he doubted the opposition could mobilise any great force: "Most people are accepting this as an authentic expression of the will of the people."
Mr Rajapakse has called on Sri Lankans to unite to rebuild the war-shattered nation saying: "From today onward, I am the president of everyone, whether they voted for me or not."
But far from pointing to a more united country, observers have warned the voting patterns show a nation more divided than ever along ethnic grounds. Mr Rajapakse captured almost 70 per cent of the Sinhala vote, representing close to 90 per cent of his total vote, in Tuesday's poll, the first post-war election since the government crushed the Tamil Tigers' 26-year armed struggle for autonomy. - courtesy: The Australian -
Additional reporting: Alexandra Cameron
6 Comments
Miss Democracy (South, Central and West) finally died on Jan 26, 2010. Of course we Tamils knew that Miss Democracy North and Miss Democracy East, had been ailing from childbirth in 1948, lived a short and unhappy life.
I have no doubt that Silva, Fernando, Appuhamy, Punchbanda and any one not affiliated with the Rajapaskse Dynasty will be lamenting the words of Pastor Martin Niemöller which was paraphased by Lasantha Wickramatunge just before he was killed by goons from his own community.
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out.
Only Silva and Co will be substituting the word "Tamils" in very line.
There is a "cool" expression in the west and it goes like this....
"Ain't Karma a Bitch?
As an unwilling participant of the 1977 and 1983 riots, I say this to the Sinhalese people more in sorrow than pleasure.
The overwhelming mandate " to the contrary " encourages to act even more arrogantly and to commit even more crimes without the fear of punishment.
What ever you did against the innocent Tamils in North and East have been endorsed by your party supporters and the extremist elements in Sinhala politics from day one to the end. That does not mean you are free of the crimes committed against the humanity to the worlds eye. You can say what ever you want to say, that does not mean that you will be exonerate from the crimes you committed with the help of you brothers and the armed forces of Sri Lanka. Where can you run Mahinda, there is no place you can hide other than to stay in your country. Next time you decide to leave you Sri Lanka to a western country be little cautious. You may get hurled in to international court and charged for war crimes and genocide.
By saying so he admits that he has done war crimes but with the support of his Sinhala nationalists and his racist goons who have made his victory possible and he can avoid and wade off these IC actors.
When a majority "democratically" elects such a war criminal regime, it simply means that such a majority has a warped, perverted value system.
One could have said the same of those hardcore LTTE supporters who disregarded or dismissed forced conscription of child soldiers, the gulags, the intolerance of any criticism, thuggery, etc.
But the LTTE is no more, and the world saw the same kind of violence and thuggery among Sri Lankans in the
run-up to the elections.
Nor was the LTTE involved in the violence during the time the Premadasa regime and the JVP outdid each other in brutal murders.
This is the kind of warped logic of our leadership that shocks the world and shames all Lankans. The man is even said to be a lawyer and should understand the basics of two separate issues. Remind yourself of the cliche "it is better to keep your trap shut and for others to suspect you are a fool - than to open it and confirm it beyond any doubt"
And as for the BBC interview the "brilliant" brother gave Ethirajan Anbarasan yesterday LoL Hitler, at his worst tantramatic mood, would have been calmer. We thought aiyah had debarred malli from opening his foul mouth in public. Do these dregs understand why BBC allowed a whole 10 mts of their prime news for this charade?
ISS