“think he can’t campaign for shit, but this does display a propensity to tell the truth, even if it hurts him”

That makes him a bit naive, wouldn’t you say?

I agree that not voting should forfeit the right to complain about the government in tandem =P
But at this point of time, neither MR or SF seem fit to run the country. There is no lesser evil. They are equally bad. And if we vote fully aware of the fact, we’d have to live with the guilt of having voted them into power.

At the moment I’m still in two minds about voting, I think I’ll give it a bit more time… I’ll listen to what else they have to say and then weigh it out before reaching a decision.

I agree with your assessment of MR’s foreign policy (or the lack of it), but do you disagree that there are certain foreign powers (particularly from the Western Bloc and even some of the regional governments including, but not limited to, India) with vested interests who are trying to capitalise on our current predicament?

While I don’t believe for a second that there is an “international conspiracy” to destroy Sri Lanka, I can’t help but feel that some foreign “democracies” really are hellbent on ‘victimising’ us (for the lack of a better word).

What they stand to gain by doing so is anyone’s guess, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s a definite reality.

Just my two cents’ worth.

While voting is entirely a personal thing and everyone should respect that individual’s choice we can still have a healthy conversation once someone publically declares his or her choice.

While I agree with you on some of your assessments on Mahinda and understand your concern about the future with Mahinda. I really have a difficulty in understanding your judgment on Sarath.

Firstly, you say Sarth is not corrupt; may be not in Sri Lankan standard but there are lot of ethical issues with Sarath’s past that bothers me a lot. Here are some of them:
1)Asking government to bear the total tuition cost of his two daughters while they were studying in the States.
2)Requesting a special vehicle worth over 40million.
3)When government decides to give 10 perch land as a gift to all three service commanders asking 5 additional perches initially and extra 5 more subsequently. Apparently, this land is worth over 200 million rupees.
4)Asking the government to pay 2.2 million phone bills to the US.
5)Even though he may have not have built a house in Sri Lanka his children have massive houses in Texas and Oklahoma.

These are the things that we know about him with solid evidence (not gossip) and it raises the question of being a man of principle. My question is if he had the opportunity would he have got more from tax payer’s money.
Secondly you say SF could shape up our flaccid government like he did the Army: I do not know what to make of this statement. From what we have heard so far is that Sarath is a bone- headed egocentric leader and it was Gottabaya who flaccid the forces when things were so close to fall apart.

Thirdly you say SF has the propensity to tell the truth – So the statement he made to the “National Post” is true or false? The statement he made at Ambalangoda is true or false? The statement he made to Sunday Leader is true or false? Statement he made to Rupavahini about the political leadership is what helped to win the war is true or false? So I guess going by that record his promise to raise wages of government servants by Rs 10,000 will be a reality.

For me, the most negative thing about Sarath is his motives for running for this presidential race. In my judgment he is in it because he wants to get a personal revenge from Gottabaya Rajapakse, his former boss. Sarath is not a man who dedicated his whole life to make a social revolution in our country nor he was ever about protecting democracy, press freedom or alleviate poverty from my country. He is only a decorated soldier with no vision or a clear alternative polices for my country but just a very vague promise of getting rid of executive presidency.
Since he does not have clear polices or major achievement to highlight (other than being part the war victory) today he is running campaign of “HATE” and REVENGE. That is why he has to attack personalities not issues. That is why he get so emotional and spread vicious personal attacks on individuals. In my whole life I have never seen a campaign like this. It is never about policies but all about personal attacks and degrading of characters. For me that is not good enough for someone who is aspiring to be a leader of a country.

Since both Mahinda and Sarth stinks so much I would rather stay at home on Election Day and go to sleep that night knowing very well that I made a principle decision which will prove right one day.

@Puppeteer

I’m not really decided myself. It is a bad choice

@Papare

I do think certain countries (driven largely by lobbying of Tamil diaspora elements) are, in effect, trying to victimize Sri Lanka (or at least the government). I’ve talked to people from the US State Department and I think the best way to counter this is with accurate information rather than the nonsense from the vindictive segments of the diaspora. That said, I don’t really disagree with your point.

@Chandana

I also agree with most of what you’re saying and I wouldn’t say that Sarath Fonseka is someone I admire. However, I think we need a change. A gridlocked government under Fonseka seems ideal to me now, perhaps with Mahinda controlling Parliament. The best stuff I’ve seen happening looks like it came from their competition, so I’m all for that productive tension in government.

Forgive me if I sound naive, but wouldn’t voting for a third party candidate be a better option than not voting? Wouldn’t a strong showing for one of them (or all of them jointly) send a sort of message that people were fed up with the main parties’ brand of “politics as usual”?