Sri Lanka election loser Sarath Fonseka arrested
News Source: BBC
The defeated candidate in Sri Lanka’s presidential election, Gen Sarath Fonseka, has been arrested, news reports have said. Gen Fonseka was defeated by incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa last month by six million votes to four million.
Gen Fonseka rejected the results and vowed to challenge them in court. The government has been seeking legal advice to bring a court martial against the general on charges of plotting to overthrow the administration.
Gen Fonseka was in charge of Sri Lanka’s army when it defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels last year after a destructive civil war lasting more than a quarter of a century.
However, he fell out with President Rajapaksa soon after and the pair fought a bitter election campaign.
The initial allegations brought by the government are of “committing military offences”, military spokesman Maj-Gen Prasad Samarasinghe said.
‘Disgraceful’
Gen Fonseka’s wife confirmed to the BBC that her husband had been detained after the security presence around his office had been stepped up during the day.
Gen Fonseka was meeting a number of politicians who had supported his candidacy.
The Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem told Reuters news agency: “He was dragged away in a very disgraceful manner in front of our own eyes.”
The BBC’s Charles Haviland in Colombo says the arrest was dramatic but not unexpected and there must now by questions about whether this is the start of a bigger clampdown on the opposition.
Latest Headlines in Sri Lanka
- Chinese Communist Party delegation meets Anura Kumara April 23, 2024
- Chamari Athapaththu back atop ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings April 23, 2024
- General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways H.M.K.W. Bandara passes away April 23, 2024
- NPP requests confirmation from SJB for proposed debate April 23, 2024
- Two killed in police shooting at Moragahahena April 23, 2024
This is the bitter politics of MR.
(1) He revenge from the people in a peaceful manner. He kept quite during the presidential election to show off that he is not accused any person. But when the time comes he gets the pray very well.. No doubut that MR is the best ever president we ever had in SL. But simply because of that we can not accept these sort of low level politics..Am not a Supporter of any Sri Lankan political party..I dont like SL dirty politics. Support whatever is good and critisice whatever is wrong….
I think SF did a great job in a Military wise. He attacked the Rajapakse Regime during the election. So this is his final repercussion..
Let wait and see what will happen…MR seems politicised the whole country. Whoever in his side is correct and others should go to the hell..That is his idea…
No matter again MR is the Best presdient we ever had,,,But his motives behind this is very vian
KUMANA VEERAYEK VUNATH MINEE MARANNE BALAYAK NEE. LASANTHA VEERATUNGA CASE SAHA RANAVIRUWAN PAWA DEEMA HAMUDA NEETHI KADA KIRIMATA NEETHIYA KRIYATHMAKA VEEMA TATH JANADIPATHI PALI NEE. EEKATA JANADIPATHITA DOS IYALA VEDAK NEE. PONSEKA NIVERADI NAM NIDAHAS VEY. HAMUDA RAHAS HELI KEREEMA NEETHI VIRODIY HAMUDA NEETHIYA ANUWA.
Brother of edee mameen mr. gota go to the hell u. are a tail less mad fariah d.. we hate and curse u. and u. fam. we condamn this malicious furious nefarious diabolic act of mr. MR
God bless our ace war horo (not a/c hotugamunu )
I am employed with a western government ministry. Most of the my collegues are very often dicusing with about Sri Lanka and Sri lanka politics. Because they are always going to Sri Lanka for their annual holidays. They like like our country so much. I am not a supporter of any political party, as I am not taking any political advantages in my home country. After the presidential election and when Mr. Sarath Fonseka was arrested, my western collegues ask me about the arrest. I simply said these are politics and they said These are not politics, these are dirty politics. And they also said future of Sri Lanka is about to become better but there is no better future for Sri Lanka any more, because of this kind of dirty politics. Mr Mahinda Rajapaksha is in power again and if he continues his dirty politics in this manner Sri Lanka will become the biggest hell in south asia.
Dayaratne Bandara.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.