Gen. Fonseka had plans to ‘assassinate’ President Rajapaksa and his family

The Sri Lankan government alleged that the defeated candidate General Sarath Fonseka had plans to "assassinate" President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family.

Director of the Media Centre for National Security Lakshman Hulugalle told reporters here on Thursday that Gen. Fonseka moved into the hotel with over 70 retired army officers and deserters to plot the assassination of victorious President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family members.

Lakshman Hulugalle claimed that the president and his family were to be assassinated along Galle Road in Colombo or at the Lake House Junction in the commercial hub of Fort.

He also claimed that the nine army deserters, who were arrested from the hotel in the capital, where Fonseka had checked in on Wednesday, were part of the plot and said investigations are on into this.

He said: "We have evidence that the General planned this after opinion polls carried out by the opposition United National Party predicted a 50:50 split verdict. However, the President won a landslide victory polling over 58 per cent vote.”

All these developments closely follows a face-off between Gen Fonseka and security forces outside a star hotel in Colombo to which he moved immediately after the elections and rushing to the Election Commissioner charging his life was in danger and seeking India’s protection.

Following this, security provided to Sri Lanka's defeated presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka have been withdrawn with immediate effect, a military spokesman said on Thursday.

Brigardier Udaya Nanayakkara said four vehicles, including a bullet-proof car, and 20 army personnel had been withdrawn from Fonseka's security assignment.

Meanwhile, Minister G L Pieris said that Gen. Fonseka, by refusing to accept people's mandate and running to foreign missions in Colombo with the allegation about threat to his life he had "crossed all limits" of democratic behaviour.

Addressing a press conference, Prof Pieris said the General has alleged rigging of elections to tarnish Sri Lanka's image overseas. He said such allegations had no resonance in Sri Lanka "as people knew the truth". He also pointed out that foreign monitors had held that the elections were free and fair.

He also said that leaders of parliamentary parties supporting the General, namely United National Party's Ranil Wickremasinghe and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress chief Rauf Hakkim had also accepted the verdict.

Minister Sarath Amunugama asked how Gen Fonseka could have got over 40 lakh votes in the first ever island-wide elections in over a decade if they were manipulated.

- Asian Tribune -