Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia

Tiger Woods, the golf legend, was earning up to $100 million a year and until recently sponsored by almost all reputed companies. But because of the wide publicity given to his sex scandals all sponsors have ditched him. It is alleged that Tiger had as many as 14 mistresses and he had paid enormous amounts of money to keep their mouths shut. The latest is that his wife has filed for a divorce and he has temporarily withdrawn from tournaments. It’s a pity that his career had come on the line.

In the past, in the political arena we had Bill Clinton’s sex scandals with Monika Lewinsky and a few others. This led to an impeachment in the House of Representatives in 1998-99. Prior to this in 1991 Paula Corbin had brought a law suit against him while he was Governor of Arkansas.

Now in Sri Lanka, the common candidate for the Presidential Elections, Sarath Fonseka’s life style has come under public scrutiny. In the army circles a pamphlet has been circulated giving details of Fonseka’s sexual harassments and sex scandals surrounding him during his army career. According to the circular these are not new to those who are in the army. As the circular is in Sinhalese the Asian Tribune has done a great service to the people by giving an English translation of it in the 03.01.2010 dated edition, exposing him well and truly.

The pamphlet vividly illustrates Fonseka’s pattern of sexual behaviour and how he had used his authority for relationships with those who were subordinates and under his command. It is alleged that several members of the fair sex who served under him had immoral liaison with him because of his power and thus he had abused authority. As this is common knowledge, when he retired his request for female soldiers and officers to serve him was outright rejected by the government.

According to the pamphlet circulated in the army the ‘common candidate’ Fonseka had 71 scandals so far and had published the names of some involved. What matters is not the number as such but the pattern of sexual behaviour which had been covered all these years from the public who are going to vote for him. We are not at all interested in peeping into the private lives of rich and the powerful. But this had been the lifestyle of someone who is aspiring to be the President of Sri Lanka!

In this connection we may with sympathy look at the plight of the soldiers and officers who were fighting a war, never visiting their wives, children, families for months on end, sacrificing their lives and limbs, offering their today for our tomorrow and so on while some others like the one exposed in the pamphlet having a good time and cheating their wives!

On 4th January at a JVP rally at Campbell Park Sarath Fonseka had said, “…This is the first time in the history of this country that all the armed forces are standing together as one and supporting my candidacy…” This is far from the truth and in fact they are keeping away from him. Because he isolated the Navy and the Air Force which did so much for the victory and then he claimed sole right of victory for the war and sidelined them. It is because of his arrogance that the three service commanders boycotted his farewell.

Sarath Fonseka, the “Uncommon Candidate” is living in a dream world in the planet of the dead surrounded by the UNP and the JVP who are expecting a piggy-back ride to power!