Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka who was released under a Presidential pardon in May this year, said he is still clueless about the conditions under which he was released, five months after the dramatic turn of events which brought an end to his two-and-a-half-year incarceration at Welikada prison. “We have not seen a legal document [...]

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SF still clueless of terms, conditions of his release

By Chandani Kirinde
Spearheads formation of a joint opposition alliance to “overthrow the present corrupt regime”
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Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka who was released under a Presidential pardon in May this year, said he is still clueless about the conditions under which he was released, five months after the dramatic turn of events which brought an end to his two-and-a-half-year incarceration at Welikada prison.

“We have not seen a legal document still. It’s a secret document kept under wraps like an atomic bomb. The document should have been made available to me the day I was released, so that I would know why I am being sent out,” Mr. Fonseka told the Sunday Times, during an interview on the eve of the launch of a common opposition alliance which he is spearheading.
In order to verify where exactly he stands, as per his civic and political rights, after being freed, Fonseka said his lawyers have asked for the document, through the Court of Appeal. “Then we will know exactly what is in the note that the President sent the Justice Ministry, that led to my release,” he said.

The former General has moved into a modest new office in Kotte, from where he had lined up several interviews aimed at gathering momentum for the common alliance, which he hopes will eventually grow strong enough to overthrow this government.

“From the time I came out of prison, and even before that, I have been advocating for all opposition forces to unite to overthrow the corrupt regime. Nothing is going in the correct path under this government. Democracy is at stake, there is no justice for the people; there is interference in the judiciary and other services like education and health are in a mess,” he said.
For now, the alliance which Mr. Fonseka is forging will not have a leader.

“Forget about the head of the alliance for now. Let us work together and think of a leader when it comes to a Presidential election, for instance. If we fight for leadership in the opposition, nothing will move in the right direction. A leader will have to emerge to contest the present leader, to overthrow him, but before that, the first step is to form the alliance, and then the people will decide who the best person is for leadership,” he said.

The former Army Commander said the bulk of UNP MPs have agreed in principle on the need to forge a common alliance, while the rest of those who will join will include members of civil society, religious leaders, professionals and intellectuals.
“In unison, we must come on stage and give a new beginning to the united force in the opposition,” he said.
Mr. Fonseka said the UNP leadership has been approached to join the alliance and is hopeful that it will happen.
“The UNP has tried to go it alone, but over time, it is clear from that experience that things are getting worse. Although they (the UNP) try to show that things are a bit better after each election, this is not correct. That is also a way of cheating people,” he said.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuma (JVP), one of the strongest proponents for Mr. Fonseka’s release, will not be part of the alliance.  “They (the JVP) have a political journey different from ours, but at the time of elections, they may come together with other parties to support a particular candidate,” said Mr. Fonseka, when asked of the JVP’s participation in the alliance.
“We have kept our doors open,” he said.

MP Tiran Alles who is credited with negotiating Mr. Fonseka’s release will also not be a part of the alliance but the former Army Chief denied that this was due to their strained relationship.

“This evening, I am going for Tiran Alles’ father’s birthday party. Our personal relationship, personal rapport is not strained in anyway,” he said. But Mr. Fonseka admitted that politically, there is a difference in the way the two men do politics.
“The way Tiran Alles does politics is different. He does not go on the stage; he does not go to the people. He does it in his own way. He has had some different ideas about what we are doing now, like the common opposition alliance, but we have not become enemies, nor have we started clashing in the political arena,” he said.

For now Mr. Fonseka ruled out the possibility of joining the UNP, even though some have suggested that he and his supporters do that.

“Some think we must join the UNP. I have ruled that out due to the present situation, because there are some problems within the UNP, which is why I don’t want to join it,” the former Army Chief said.He sees corruption as one of the biggest menaces the country is facing now.

“Only some families are alright. Maybe 5,000 to 6,000 people are benefiting everywhere, while even people who voted for this government have not enjoyed the benefits of development,” he said.

Despite the ruling party winning repeatedly at elections in the past few years, Mr. Fonseka said that the ruling party has managed to muster only around 4.5 million votes, while there are nearly nine million voters who have either voted for the opposition, or have not voted at all.

“The government says it has a two-thirds majority, but in reality, it has the support of only one-third of the people, while two-thirds are against it,” he said.

He is confident that the opposition is capable of becoming a force strong enough to topple this government. “What so many people thought was impossible in the past, like destroying the LTTE, we were able to do,” when asked of the chances that he can bring about a change in government.

Mr. Fonseka claimed that despite his release from jail, he continues to be trailed by intelligence officers, while members of his family continue to face harassment, and he does not think the worst is over for him. “Knowing the conduct of people ruling this country, I won’t be surprised if they put me into jail again, or even if someone assassinates me,” he said.He said the security detailed to him is barely sufficient. “The President must take personal responsibility if someone assassinates me,” Mr. Fonseka said.




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