hypothetically if SF wins, then after the elections,
y = x – 1
z = 1
y = x – z
x = y + z
where, y >> z

this is SF’s abolition of exec presidency for dummys!

Sri Lanka is fast desecending into a tinpot dictatorship (if it had not already done so) that we need to get rid of the Rajapakses.

Yes people, Sri Lanka has once again redefined an English word. And this time it’s the word dictatorship. Yes, Oxford dictionary (if you’re reading this) you may want to revise that! Dictator is some that can be got rid of through elections!

Oh Peral, now that you know Fonnie has that agreement with TNA, of course he is your ideal candidate 😉 It’s perfectly FINE! but why be so coy about it? At least be open like us “Rajapksa apologists”!

@Caesar – the question is – haven’t we already reached the end of democracy in Sri Lanka? Look around. I think you wouldn’t have to look far to see the answer is yes.

Then Gypsy why vote if there is no functioning democracy? If there is no functioning democracy then what we have is autocracy. “Fake” elections cannot make a difference. Stop wasting your time and stay home on election day.

TBH the way our feisty, do anything, “even devil’s my friend if I can win” attitude politicians conduct them selves, I’d argue that Sri Lanka has one of the most ferocious & competitive democracies in the world! You’re going to laugh at this, but just ponder on it for a bit and you’d fall off the chair as I did. Why would they try so hard if they thought there was no effin way? haha

This is not by any means a promotion of SF or his politics

Not all of us were born yesterday too! Otherwise I have to say indecisive advocacy is hollow!

niranjan,

“Is he really going to abolish the executive presidency?”

Well FYI he is already on record that he won’t be doing that after all. All future presidential hopefuls…. breathe easy!

You say “We finally have the lack of war. But do we have peace? – No.”- I say we have peace precisely because there is no war.

“Do we have democracy? – No.”- I agree. But did we ever have democracy?

“Do the minorities feel safe? – No.”- I say No minority has ever felt safe in this country. This is nothing new. Sarath Fonseka made a statement to the Canadian National Post in 2008 on the lines that Sri Lanka belonged to the majority. So do you think that in the event SF is elected to office he is going to make the minorities feel safe?

“Despite the defeat of terrorism, do we lack terror in our lives? -No.” – I say that the terror that we face now is due to the elections. Once the major elections are over things will calm down. Even in the past terror was always there. Terror is synonymous with Sri Lanka.

If you visit the rural areas and speak to the people you will realise that the end of the war means a lot to them more so than those in Colombo. The end of the war means that their sons and daughters can have a life even if they are in the army. They do not have to worry about getting killed. I was in Pottuvil over the weekend and the people I spoke to were all happy that the war is over and they gave credit to MR. Pottuvil is a Muslim majority area. In addition road building is going on apace for example the Moneragala-Pottuvil road is been carpeted and that means travel facilities will be made easier for the people who live there. There is hardly a poster of SF in those areas whereas Mahinda’s posters are to be seen.
The rural voter especially the Sinhalese are happy with MR. The only way that SF will be elected to office is if he can persuade the Sinhala rural voter to vote for him. SF’s campaign is lacklustre and his promises are airy and unconvincing. Is he really going to abolish the executive presidency? Can he ? Only Parliament can do that. At least we know that MR will never abolish the Presidency.

I am certainly not saying SF is the answer. But knowing (at least to some extent) the alternative, I can’t see how voting in the incumbent for a second term is going to help. Sure, he ended the war. Kudos. We finally have the lack of war. But do we have peace? – No. Do we have democracy? – No. Do the minorities feel safe? – No. Despite the defeat of terrorism, do we lack terror in our lives? -No.

It is not enough to have won the war. The real victory will be when we can stop hearing about a new death every day in the run up to an election.

This is not by any means a promotion of SF or his politics – we simply don’t know what he will do or how he will handle his presidency, should he win. We know how the incumbent handled his. We must act according to what we know.

Voting for SF could mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire. We simply have to hope it is not. I have given up trying to predict the future and trying to visualize every worst-case scenario. Instead, I am hoping against hope for change.

We have indeed reached the end of democracy in this country or in the alternative are getting there. MR is bad enough but do you think SF is going to be any better? A retired army man in the post of executive President? Sri Lanka and India have had civilian rule since independance and we need to keep it that way.
The bottomline is that both MR and SF are unsuitable for the post of President.
Therefore the voter has choices. Either vote for one of the two or any of the others or else do not vote at all. The moral voter may well decide not to vote.