Peace dividend unlikely for Sri Lanka
Newly re-elected Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse made all the right noises in his address marking the country’s independence day on Feb 4 but questions remain over his sincerity. And his intentions.
The Jan 26 presidential poll pitting Rajapakse against his former army chief, General Sarath Fonseka, was the first since Sri Lanka ended 26 years of civil war with last May’s military victory over the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The election win was decisive but controversial, with charges of fraud and violent intimidation.
Rajapakse’s address aimed to soothe. He spoke of promoting unity, of long-delayed economic development and of devolving powers. Some of his remarks were delivered in Tamil as a conciliatory gesture towards a largely disaffected ethnic minority.
Source: ASIA NEWS NETWORK
