Former army commander announces candidacy for president

Colombo – The Sri Lankan army commander who led the military victory over separatist Tamil rebels this year officially announced his candidacy for president Sunday. General Sarath Fonseka, who survived a rebel suicide bomb attack in 2006 and commanded the army to victory in May will challenge the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the January 26 elections.

"Two years back I promised that I will never leave the war to be completed by another commander of the army and I have done exactly what I have said," Fonseka told a news conference.

He will stand as a candidate for the opposition United National Alliance.

Fonseka said his objective was be elected and then abolish the executive presidential system, which he said was leading to a "dictatorship" benefiting one family.

He pledged to work toward ending corruption, restoring democracy and improving the economy.

Fonseka said he was not satisfied with how tens of thousands of war refugees were being treated and objected to the government's resettlement programs.

"The government has failed to look after the displaced persons," he said referring to the 300,000 minority Tamils war refugees, of which 130,000 remain in camps in the northern part of the country.

Two weeks after Fonseka led the army to victory on May 18, he was relieved of his command and appointed to be chief of defense staff, a ceremonial post. That demotion caused him to break with the government.

Government ministers who hailed Fonseka as a war hero have started criticizing him for joining the opposition.

"The former army commander has fallen in a local and international conspiracy," Agriculture Minister Maithriapala Sirisena said.

President Rajapaksa and Fonseka both claim credit for winning the war, and the issue is likely to be key to the electoral campaign.