The government yesterday claimed that military commanders had never challenged their Commanders in Chief in Sri Lanka’s history and General Sarath Fonseka would never succeed in his attempt to replace President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming Presidential Election as the former CDS did not have a proper CV to become the President.

Addressing the first Presidential Election-related news briefing at the Mahaweli Centre, SLFP General Secretary and Agriculture Minister Maithripala Sirisena in the government’s first response to General Fonseka’s candidacy said no one could compare the responsibilities and duties of a President with the duties of a head of a Rural Development Society, Buddhist Society or Sports Club.

“A person who aspires to become the head of a democratic country requires political acumen and experience on democratic values. General Fonseka does not have both credentials and he unfit to become the President of this country. He is only a military officer who won the war against terrorism on the guidance and direction of President Rajapaksa with the assistance of the commanders of the Navy and Air Force and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. He does not have a monopoly on the war victory of which there are so many stakeholders,” Minister Sirisena said.

Minister Sirisena said the UPFA had already launched its propaganda campaign with the 12 political parties that represented Parliament and eight more parties. A concerted highly organized propaganda campaign will ensure a historic victory for the incumbent President Rajapaksa, he said.

UPFA General Secretary and Minister Susil Premajayantha said there had been military operations against terrorism and military leaders who prosecuted them. But only President Rajapaksa had the commitment and resolve to fight to the bitter end and liberate the entire country despite heavy pressure exerted by local and international elements.

“No any other head of state from J.R.Jayewardene to Chandrika Kumaratunga were able to fight terrorism in the manner President Rajapaksa did. He had to absorb the pressure and brickbats from all corners. Some foreign elements even asked to stop the humanitarian operations. But none of these acts could influence to change President Rajapaksa’s determination at any stage,” Minister Premjayantha stressed.

Commenting on a request that had been allegedly made by UNP Deputy Leader and Parliamentarian Karu Jayasuriya requesting the government to hold a free and fair Presidential election, Minister Premjayantha said the January Presidential election would be the most free, fair and clean election in the election history of Sri Lanka as all other Presidential elections since 1982 had been marred by acts of  terrorism.  

National Freedom Front leader and Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa said the forthcoming Presidential Election had brought together strange bed fellows.

“Both the UNP and the JVP have succumbed to the greatest political tragedy in their political history in this election. The JVP has never become a tail of another political party. It has always fielded its own candidate. If the JVP supported a particular candidate he or she has accepted the JVP policies. But for the first time in the party’s history, the JVP is in tandem with the UNP that killed thousands of its members including its beloved leader Rohana Wijeweera during the 1998/90 terror period,” he said.

The UNP has for the first time in the history accepted that its leader is not capable of giving a fight to the candidate of the rival party, he said. 

“I do not understand how General Fonseka sits with these people who were with the LTTE during the humanitarian operation. Mano Ganeshan was a known sympathizer of the LTTE and worked against the humanitarian operation within the country and abroad,” he added. 

The deciding factor that separates President Rajapaksa from other leaders is his commitment to be successful on any issue be it the war against terrorism, economic development or administration, he said.

He said even General Fonseka acceded to give up the military operation in Jaffna under pressure  during President Kumaratunga’s regime.

“So it is the political leadership that matters. It was because the political leadership of President Rajapaksa that Sri Lanka has been able to surmount all challenges and emerge as the first country in the world that is ready to achieve a speedy economic, industrial, cultural and spiritual development after crushing terrorism from its soil for ever.  Will any right thinking voter want to vote against a leader like this?” Weerawansa asked.

Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera, Ministers Dinesh Gunawardan, D.E.W.Gunasekara, Radha Krishnan and Dr. Harischandra Wijetunga, Dr. Nath Amarakoone, Ranjith Navaratne, Nelson Perera, Pudiappuhami and Kamal Nissanka also spoke.