…. If assured of forming a new government
Mahinda wanted to jail me for thirty years, I got out in two

March 23, 2013, 7:24 pm

by Zacki Jabbar

Leader of the Democratic National Front (DNA) and former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka last week said that 90 percent of  government MP’s  were not happy with the dicatatorial manner in which the country was being run and would defect if they were assured of forming an alternate administration.

Asked during an interaction with the Foreign Correspondents Association in Colombo last week how he viewed his political future since his civic  rights would be restored only in 2019,Fonseka replied "President Rajapaksa was planning to keep me in jail for 30 years, but I came out in two. Similarly I will find a way to obtain my civic rights ahead of the scheduled date. We have to keep  up both the local and international pressure to reverse the injustices that have been meted out to me."

The Rajapaksa regime was not as stable as made out to be. Ninety percent of the government MP’s were not happy with the dictatorship that had been foisted on the people by just one family. They are prepared to leave, but only if (they are) certain of forming an alternate government, Fonseka noted.

The Elections Commisioner,he said,  was considering  the DNA’s application for registration as a political party and a decision was expected to be announced shortly.

Asked as to why two of his MP’s had left him, Fonseka replied that both were pursuing their business interests and not prepared to be too critical of the Rajapaksas.

Responding to recent  photographs released by the British Channel 4 Television network showing Prabhakaran’s 12- year old son, Balachandran, in army custody prior to being killed, he observed: "The bunker where the boy is shown to be seated before his bullet ridden body is exhibited is very tidy.Our troops did not enjoy such luxuries on the battle field.The pictures could have been doctored.The person standing beside the boy was in a uniform similar to that worn by the Indian army. LTTE cadres also wore such uniforms during the height of the war."

While denying that the security forces committed war crimes during the last stages of the war which ended on May 18, 2009, the fomer army commander said he was prepared to  face any international probe. The Rajapaksa regime he noted had messed up on all fronts and made a big mistake by fighting shy of an inquiry.

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