Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka continued to enjoy promotion after promotion, with his latest been a ministerial portfolio.
Fonseka, who was appointed as a National List Parliamentarian from the United National Front this month, took oaths before President Maithripala Sirisena this evening as the Minister of Regional Development.
Even though he was initially tipped to get the law and order portfolio, the move had sparked an outcry within government ranks, with several protesting against such a portfolio being given to Fonseka.
Fonseka has been embroiled in several controversies including having an alleged hand in several attacks against media personnel, while he was Army Commander.
His appointment as a Parliamentarian is currently being contested by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) which has filed a Fundamental Rights petition challenging his appointment to Parliament. (By Munza Mushtaq © Colombo Telegraph )
vishvajith / February 25, 2016
The comedy, that is our democracy. Sigh!
You lose, you stay home. You try again.
/
Native Vedda / February 25, 2016
vishvajith
“as the Minister of Regional Development.”
More camps in every nook and corner of this island, perhaps.
/
vishvajith / February 26, 2016
Gives a Hail Mary Pass to a future Presidential Candidate, who can lose the election and then be appointed as the President of the Country, after losing.
This is nonsense.
Courts must toss this appointment out.
/
Aku / February 25, 2016
Awesome… Well deserved…
/
sekara / February 25, 2016
The Good Book says:
“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”
SF will rise and rise not because he is a just man. But because Yahapalanaya, like God, works in mysterious ways.
Wait for the day when the wicked rise and rise through mischief and more mischief.
/
Fitzpatrick / February 25, 2016
So ends the investigation into Lasantha’s murder?
So much for Ranil and his commitment for democracy and freedom of the press.
/
Aroos Mowlana / February 25, 2016
Great!! Yahapalanaya indeed! Will he now
support the war crimes inquiry?
/
vishvajith / February 26, 2016
Gives a Hail Mary Pass to a future Presidential Candidate, who can lose the election and then be appointed as the President of the Country, after losing.
This is nonsense.
Courts must toss this appointment out.
/
Backlash / February 25, 2016
He was “promoted” to defend Sirisena, who does not know if his eventual downfall will come through UNP sources or the other side. So the Gamaya packs both the UNP side and the Opposite side with men whom he thinks he can “trust” If Fonseka is given a position where he can have some sort of control over his formerly beloved “unit eka” together with the men and equipment he once had, then he will reduce the Rajapakse threat one by one. That was the way Lasantha, Raviraj, Ekneligoda and Thajudeen were done away with – the Gothabaya Doctrine, if you like. That will be a great relief to Aiyo Sirisena – who cannot trust anyone today and is even afraid of his own shadow – so that he can then bat on for a little longer.
Backlash
/
Lalith W / February 25, 2016
Mahinda,Gota,Basil,Sajin Vass Gonawardena,watch out.Here comes the Field Marshall.Unfortunately for you thugs and theives you can run but you simply cannot hide.Its simply pay back time.
/
CHANAKYAN / February 26, 2016
Before exulting one should know the subjects and functions coming under his purview.
/
AM / February 27, 2016
You do not need to.If you look at every minister has got ministry portfolios which they have no knowledge of.But the administration runs itself. They just have to sign the papers and do coordination work.
/
Don / February 26, 2016
You being watching lot of movies lately…Dingbat!
/
Native Vedda / February 26, 2016
Lalith W
“Unfortunately for you thugs and theives you can run but you simply cannot hide.Its simply pay back time.”
SF once said if he was elected he would drag the clan and cronies all the way to Gall Face green.
There is not much of difference between two bunch of war criminals. One fascist in uniform and another out of uniform.
SF in an interview said what he shouldn’t have said, a Sinhala/Buddhist mindset was expressed in undiplomatic words:
“I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people,” he says.
“We being the majority of the country, 75%, we will never give in and we have the right to protect this country.
“We are also a strong nation … They can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things.”
He dismisses concerns by international human rights groups about the conduct of his forces, saying that while civilian deaths are inevitable in war, relatively few non-combatants have died in the Sri Lankan conflict.
http://www.nationalpost.com/
inside+lanka+life+given+over/
832374/story.html
Stewart Bell, National Post · Sept. 23, 2008
Do you think this man can be a good minister, leader, democrat, …. when he harbours a majoritarian mindset?
He also said Sri Lanka was a strong country.
Strong country compared to USA, Hindia, Pakistan, China, Russia, ….. Israel, Europe, ….. ????
/
bo / February 26, 2016
It is disappointing that this crappy PM and President Sirisena have caved into pressures from those raising an outcry against the proposal to appoint SF as Law and Order Minister. It shows that the government is full of corrupt minsters and government officials that are shit scared that they would be investigated for large magnitude corrupt practices if SF became the L&O Minisiter. I bet, leading in that lot are Rajapakshas: they have called in RW loyalty that they bought on the 9th Jan 15, at dawn at TT. Amongst the others may be the “servant of the victor” that had some wierd dealings with a floating arms company. I think all these ones who were shouting loudest against SF must be investigated first, and dealt with severely
/
Brown Boy / February 26, 2016
CT, as a responsible medium of journalism please note that Field Marshal is spelled with 01 “l” and not 2 as denoted above.
/
Vanguard / February 26, 2016
Thought it was Yahapalanaya time. My mistake.
/
Justice & Fairplay / February 26, 2016
Sarath Fonseka should have been made Minister of Law enforcement.
He would have ensured everyone in the blacklist is confronted by the Law.
That would also assure a suspecting public that the days of “negotiations” and striking deals behind the scenes would be over.
THis being Sri Lanka, it will never happen (of course!)
/
thondamanny / February 26, 2016
Sarath Fonseka should have been made Minister of Law enforcement. – Justice & fairplay……..
OMG ! J & F must be joking……… It would be better to be given the Defence Ministry.
What we see is not what we get…………….
/
Bensen Berner / February 26, 2016
From Field Marshall to a minister . What a comedown. Notwithstanding the man wants to serve his country and his people, Best wishes. Bensen
/
Senthil / February 26, 2016
Sarath Fonseka was field marshal and given a job to fight LTTE and he did his job, in other words he carried out orders from the Government but lunies in the Government gave him bad orders, still his job is to carry out orders. MR & co put him in jail because he must have not agree everything blindly like some others did to keep their positions. So his promotions and posts are fine until proof he did something against army regulations to kill Tamils. He once told something about Tamil Nadu politicians but he may be correct. Why MR is crying now, he has to harvest whatever he cultivated. Cultivated Karma, killed people when ever he wanted, he looted country left to right, he can’t dump every thing on someone else head – there is a lot left in the list GOD keeping in his hand – enjoy modia enjoy, ordinary Singhalese should not be punished for your satanic acts. Sarath Fonseka did not settle everything you did to him – you have a lot ,enjoy.
/