1. HE IS CLEVER: Gen. Fonseka started at the lowest ranks of the army and rose to the very top. Then he ended a 30 year long ‘unending’ war. Need I say more?
Can you imagine even a distant relative of Rajapakse family living in a house like this?
2. HE IS HONEST: Having led the army when it did procurements of unprecedented levels, Gen. Fonseka could have made fortunes for seven more generations, even with 1% cuts. He did not. All he owned at retirement were a 15 perch land at Bokundara, Piliyandala with a house – that cost LKR 1.2 million for construction, a Mercedes Benz, and LKR 641,000 in bank. His wife has bank balances of LKR 23,307 and USD 2,952 and jewelry worth a little more than LKR 1.6 million. He is much poorer than Wimal Weerawansa, MP.
3. HE DOES NOT MAKE UNREALISTIC PROMISES: Voters, more than anything else, hate corrupt politicians who promise sun and moon but deliver stars. Gen. Fonseka is different. He is radically practical. Not the typical politician who robs the votes by exploiting the gullible.
4. HE INTENTIONS ARE NOT TO SERVE HIS FAMILY: Let us not kid ourselves. Why Rajapakse wants power? To make his family grew further – bigger and more powerful. Perhaps he wants to make his family the richest in South Asia. Aren’t we tired of this kind of petty politics? Isn’t this the time to give a chance for somebody who thinks about the country before himself?
5. HE KNOWS THE PULSE OF THE PEOPLE: Ever heard of a national level politician who could row a canoe? This is real Sarath Fonseka, without his uniform. The simple villager, not a “Walawve Hamu”. He knows the problems of the masses better than anyone else – as he is one of them.
The simple villager
6. HE REPRESENTS A NATION, NOT A SINGLE RACE: Can Rajapakse ever say he represents Tamils, or in that case even Muslims? Rajapakse’s JHU supported Peoples’ Alliance represents only the extreme Sinhala Buddhists – not even moderate Sinhalese. On the contrary, Gen. Fonseka’s United National Front, true to its name, represents all ethnic communities at the top level. He will be the only leader capable of uniting this divided land.
7. HE IS FOCUSSED: Winning a war is not an easy game. That needs focus. The Indian National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan to described Gen. Sarath Fonseka as the “Best Army Commander in the world”. Why not utilise that kind of focus to develop this country?
8. HE DOES NOT RUN AWAY FROM CHALLENGES: We all know who left forces, ran away and took USA citizenship in the middle of war. On the other hand, Gen. Fonseka, ignoring the retirement option, after his fatal injuries from an LTTE suicide attack returned, took the leadership and ended the war for the country. Shouldn’t that kind of leaders we need for this country?
9. HE IS ABOVE POLITICS: Unlike Rajapakse, who is still very much within the political game (and thus not approved by nearly half of the country) Gen. Fonseka is above politics. He is not a candidate of this part or that party. He will unite the entire nation under a single flag.
10. HE HAS DONE HIS PART FOR THE COUNTRY: No two words about it. He nearly paid the supreme price for serving his motherland. Isn’t this the opportunity to show our gratitude?
