Fantasies of a military Machiavelli trying to re-write history

By Philip Fernando from Los Angeles

(December 11, Los Angeles, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is obvious that victory over terror was no individual effort individual effort but a composite mosaic of astute political leadership executed with apt nimbleness and moral courage, with the Army, Navy and the Air Force intricately woven into that astounding effort. It was far too complex and tiered for any single ego. No single military person can ever claim exclusive bragging rights to that great conquest.

It looks patently clear that the whim to oust a successful war-time leader and a popular President or debunk the leadership of a Defence Secretary, the author of the acclaimed war strategy smacked of brazen expediency, which alone is no magic potion for political success.

The crucial contributions of the Navy in dismantling LTTE war apparatus and weapon-carrying ships as well as precision bombing of terror targets by the Air Force have fallen by the way side due to an Army retiree's colossal political aspirations.

The conniving path to political ascendancy by an embittered military general and his metamorphosis from a military autocrat to a "common" politician would be eagerly watched by all. The extent of Fonseka's real power base outside the Army barracks would surface only during the next 45 days of election campaigning.

Gargantuan task

Most political observers seemed inclined to believe that he has a gargantuan target to hit. It is somewhat beyond the reach of even seasoned politicians possessing the capacity, training and outlook. It is no easy task for a novice to foment. One common denominator to all those high jinks and the accompanying cloak and dagger mindset draws parallels running back to the days of the sinister CFA deal the UNP leaders were insanely boastful about.

So the leaders with the same distemper to shun the war sought a military candidate with a grieving heart to be the cat's paw. The conspiracy came to fruition as the retired commander fuming over fractured post-war communications with his ex-bosses found receptive ears of those with long political losses to their careers.

Equally intriguing were the mechanics proposed for capturing power. For the first time in the history of this country a Presidential Election would not produce a President ready to lead but a caretaker Presidency as demanded by Ranil Wickremesinghe-the one who did not want to run for the Presidency in 2010.

The legislature meanwhile would have to grapple with the arduous task of ending the Executive Presidency.

The interim care-taker government would be left to debate the end of the Executive Presidency requiring a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Fonseka is promising the voters something which is almost impossible to achieve.

Ears cocked to military

Even if all that baloney were to succeed as planned, Sri Lankans would have to have their ears cocked to sounds coming from the military. We are familiar with generals heading governments in many parts of the world. Watching a retired General metamorphosed into a democrat might turn out to be a mortifying thought.

Ex-Army brass cum political saviours falling into the trappings of palace intrigues to keep them in power at any cost with all its political, moral, social and national, disintegration are all too familiar tales. Everyone had heard the propensity of popular military leaders to become vengeful commanders who would get allergic to even a modicum of dissent.

Pakistani people had to face that challenge at the hands of dictators sacking Chief Justices who protected the Constitution.

Judging by what transpired at Fonseka's first press conference, the fantasizing military mogul has a long way to go in getting used to what the "common" people know about democracy.

His fielding key questions on crucial topics like the economy, minorities and democracy left much to be desired. Of course, Fonseka is the candidate and others are there to run things for him: the underlying logic now surfacing.

The UNP and the JVP had desisted from fielding Presidential candidates due to a critical reasoning: defeating a popular President is way beyond their league. For Sri Lankans, on the other hand, elections are decided on manifestoes and are basically efforts to get a mandate for a party with a vision.

Manifesto of victory

We have a situation where the candidate is virtually the be all and end all of everything. That had never worked before. The superman candidacy is something for the movies. The electorate knows that fact. No single candidate is ever capable of replacing a bunch of habitual losers trying to win elections behind a candidacy of an embittered military man.

When he elections were held in 2005 Sri Lanka had the luxury of a seasoned candidate demarcating in great detail the nuances of all policies he was seeking to uphold. Mahinda Chintanaya was one of the most exhaustively annunciated policy documents to have been made a crucial manifesto for victory. Those who pooh-poohed it then were soon realizing the value of that expression of hope.

It could be said with a great deal of certainty an incumbent President that laid down his policy positions so clearly and in such depths could easily match any make-shift arrangements to rewrite the recent history of the country that had just ended the terror war for good. It was called the unwinnable war by local and foreign moguls with no sense of history.

-Sri Lanka Guardian