Col R Hariharan| 31-8-2019| Courtesy: South Asia
Security Trends, Aug 2019 | www.security-risks.com |
Gota in
presidential race
The decision of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
(SLPP) to field Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former defence secretary and brother of
former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, as its candidate for the presidential
election due in December 2019 was not unexpected. However, it indicates
President Maithripala Sirisena’s hope of SLFP joining hands with SLPP to
nominate a common candidate to fight the UNP has ended. Joint Opposition(JO)
leader Mahinda Rajapaksa has said talks with SLFP will not change the SLPP
decision on Gotabaya’s candidacy.
UNP deputy leader and Minister Sajith Premadasa
is making a strong bid for UNP nomination. He is banking on his father
Ranasinghe Premadasa’s long association
with UNP. The elder Premadasa served as PM from 1978 to 1988 and President from
1988 to 1993, during the crucial years when Indian forces were fighting the
LTTE in Sri Lanka. Sajith has made clear
of his intention to contest the presidential election.
However, the party chief
Ranil Wickremesinghe does not seem to be keen to nominate Sajith as there are other senior leaders like Karu Jayasurya, with rich political
experience. Forty UNP MPs out of the party’s 77 members are said to have signed
a letter requesting the UNP chief to nominate Sajith. MP Hesha Withanage
speaking on behalf of the Sajith group, has said UNP legislators functioning as
ministers at different levels would give up their position unless Premadasa was
named as the party candidate. However, the UNP chief seems to be still undecided. The
delay in UNP picking its candidate has given Gotabaya a head start in the
presidential race.
As architects of victory over the Tamil insurgent
group LTTE, Gotabaya and Mahinda enjoy wide popularity among the people,
particularly among Sinhala nationalist segment. The last time people went to polls - the local
government elections in 2015 - the SLPP-Joint Opposition (JO) polled 42 percent
of the votes indicating that Mahinda has retained his support base, despite
losing the presidential election. Gotabaya would build upon this
Rajapaksa-loyal segment for his election campaign.
In the run up to the election, Gotabaya is
likely to flaunt his achievement in ending the Tamil insurgency in contrast to
the security failure of the government to prevent the Easter terrorist blasts
despite advance information. With his reputation as a strongman and
disciplinarian, Gotabaya will capitalize on the fear psychosis among sections
of the people after the Easter attacks. Accepting his
nomination Gotabaya at a party conference aid “I will accept responsibility to your safety and the
safety of your children and your loved ones,”
Infighting between President Sirisena and PM
Wickremesinghe has introduced an element of instability in the performance of
the government. The backlash against Muslims after the attack has brought back the
incendiary mixture of national security and ethnic confrontation to the political
centre stage. So Gotabaya’s campaign is likely to be built around the themes of
security and political stability, rather than weightier issues like abolition
of executive presidency and fundamental rights.
However, there is a seamier side to Gotabaya’s
candidature. His reputation as an authoritarian figure with disdain for
democratic norms and rule of law dogs him.
Doubts have been raised about his Sri Lankan nationality as he has
renounced his US citizenship only recently. There are also reports of
immigration irregularity when he served as the defence secretary under
President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In utter disregard to humanitarian laws, he is
alleged to have ordered the execution of LTTE cadres holding white flag to
surrender in the final stages of Eelam War in 2009.
During
his tenure as defence secretary, his
name was linked in some of the infamous white van abductions. A CID report presented
on at a Mt Lavinia magistrate’s court March 20, 2017 said Gotabaya led a unit that was accused of
assassinating Lasantha Wickrematunge, editor of Sunday Leader newspaper. The report said "Testimony
from the former army commander [Sarath Fonseka] shows that there was a special
secret unit outside his authority and controlled by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa through
the then-chief of national intelligence Kapila Hendawitharana." The report
further added “the unit was operated outside the army command structure and was used to target journalists and other
dissidents."
Conscious of these allegations, Gotabaya addressing a lawyers
convention said he proposed “to lead a future government that will always
revere and uphold democracy, and always safeguard the rights of the public”
Describing the allegations of human rights violations in the last stage of the
war against terrorism as false narrative, he said it “blithely ignores the many
delays in the pursuit to victory that arose from our strong commitment to
protect and uphold human rights.” He said they chose to use only light arms
instead of using heavy artillery, because 300,000 innocent Tamil civilians were
entrapped by the LTTE. And this resulted in thousands of war heroes sacrificing
their lives.
Gotabaya’s chances of getting elected as president are high at
present. However, his weak spot is lack of support among minority Tamils and
Muslims. Already the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has decided not to support him
as bitter memories of the forcibly disappeared and war crimes continue to haunt Tamils. Similarly, Muslims would remember how under President
Rajapaksa’s rule Buddhist fringe groups carried out attacks on Muslim homes, madrasas
and shops in Aluthgama in June 2014. These memories are likely to enable
UNP-led front to garner most of the minority votes in the presidential poll.
Controversy
over army chief’s appointment
President Sirisena appointed Lieutenant General
Shavendra Silva as Commander of the Sri Lanka Army on August 18. As commander
of 58 Division during the Eelam war General Silva was credited with capturing
LTTE strongholds including Elephant Pass, Kilinochchi, and Puthudkudiiruppu.
However, in the final stages of the war in May 2009, he was implicated in an
incident when white-flag carrying LTTE cadres who were surrendering were alleged
to have been executed after they were assured safety. After the war, he served
as Sri Lankan ambassador and the Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN
Headquarters.
Not unexpectedly, his appointment as army
commander has triggered strong reaction from civil society both at home and
abroad The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in a
statement said she was “deeply troubled” by his appointment, “despite the
serious allegations of gross violations of international human rights and
humanitarian law against him and his troops during the war.”
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights referred to alleged human rights violations linked to 58 Division. She
said his appointment as Army Commander severely compromises Sri Lanka’s
commitment to promote justice and accountability in the context of the Human
Rights Council Resolution of 2015 co-sponsored by Sri Lanka and undermines
reconciliation efforts. She said it sets back security sector reforms.
The US embassy in Colombo has also issued a
statement expressing its deep concern at his appointment. It said the
appointment undermined Sri Lanka’s international reputation and its commitment
to promote justice and accountability
“at a time when the need for reconciliation and social unity is paramount.”
President Sirisena’s appointment of General
Shavendra Silva as army commander is only reiteration of his known stand
against bringing to book army officers considered as heroes of the Eelam for
alleged war crimes. With the presidential election to be held in the next
quarter, he probably considers it not prudent to even consider it. This is also
evident from PM Wickremesinghe’s pregnant silence on the appointment.
Col R Hariharan, a retired MI officer, served as the head of
Intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka from 1987 to 90. He
is associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies, South Asia Analysis
Group and the International Law and Strategic Analysis. Email: haridirect@gmail.com Blog:: https://col.hariharan.info
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