Fonseka says he can be the benevolent dictator that Sri Lanka needs

... accuses Rajapaksas of betrayal, asks AKD to set up inquiry

- BY SHAMINDRA FERDINANDO

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka yesterday (07) said that he was making a fresh political initiative to challenge what he called utterly corrupt political culture.

Ruling out a pact with former parliamentarians, regardless of the political parties they represented earlier, the Sinha Regiment veteran said that he was keen to gather a group of educated and honest citizens. Those who reject corrupt politicians and political parties could join the group, the FM said.

The former Minister said so when The Island sought clarification as regards a scathing attack he launched on former President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Sunday (05) at a public rally at Matara.

Addressing the Matara gathering, FM Fonseka urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to initiate a no holds barred investigation into the Rajapaksas bribing Velupillai Prabhakaran to the tune of USD 2 mn, ahead of the 2005 presidential election, and then declaring a 48-hour truce on 31 January and 01 February, 2009, that enabled the group to mount a devastating attack that caused the deaths of 500 Army personnel. Fonseka claimed that the bribe was meant to influence the LTTE to order the Tamil electorate to boy cott the presidential election.