PROFILE: Sarath Fonseka: Former army chief runs for president

Colombo - General Sarath Fonseka, the former head of Sri Lanka's army, is an unlikely candidate to win the support of the island's Tamil minority, whose rebellion he was instrumental in defeating. Fonseka, in command of the army from 2005 to mid-2009, led the final three-year phase in the island's 26-year civil war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The government declared victory over the rebels in May, after LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed in the fighting, as were many thousands of Tamil civilians caught between the warring parties.

Victory did not last long for the 59-year-old general. Only one month later, he was prematurely removed from his post as army chief and promoted to the rank of chief of defense staff, a post widely seen as ceremonial with virtually no control over the armed forces.

Following months of speculation over a rift with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Fonseka in November announced his intention to challenge Rajapaksa in the January 26 election as the opposition's candidate.

He 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 towards 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, making him - the victim of a Tamil suicide attack - an unlikely champion of Tamil needs.

After the 2006 attempt on his life, many believed his military career was over. But after a few months of medical treatment Fonseka was back at the helm, and went on to lead the army to victory.

Born on December 17, 1950 in the southern coastal town of Ambalangoda, Fonseka entered the army in 1970 and was involved in several key operations against the Tamil rebels, including the 1995 recapture of the northern Jaffna peninsula.

He had never expected to play a political role, but Rajapaksa's move to isolate him in a ceremonial post disturbed the war veteran.

The retired general concedes that he is a political novice, but said he got the backing of experienced politicians and their parties.

As army chief, he kept his promises, Fonseka said. He promised that no other commander would fight the separatist war and that he would stop rebel chief Prahakaran from holding his annual November speech.

Now he is trying to gain the voter confidence by saying he would keep to his election pledges in a similar manner.

The ruling party has leveled allegations against Fonseka, claiming his US-based son-in-law supplied military hardware to the army during Fonseka's tenure.

At the same time, Fonseka's military past may also prove damaging in his outreach to the Tamil minority, who are key in deciding the elections.

Remarks in an interview at an early stage in the campaign that Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the president's brother, ordered the military to kill the rebels even if they came with white flags to surrender, also damaged his standing.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305424,profile-sarath-fonseka-former-army-chief-runs-for-president.html.