General Sarath Fonseka is a Sri Lankan politician and former General in the Sri Lanka Army. He was the former Commander of Sri Lanka Army, when he played an integral role in ending the 26-year Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009, defeating the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and briefly served as the Chief of Defence Staff. After retiring he entered politics as the common opposition candidate in the 2010 Presidential election contesting against President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Following his controversial defeat in the presidential election he was elected to Parliament in the general election that followed. He lost his parliamentary seat after he was sentenced to serve a three year prison sentence by a military court which convicted him of irregularities in army procurements. Fonseka joined the Sri Lanka Army in 1970 and saw extensive action throughout the 26-year civil war, culminating in a term as Commander of the Army from 6 December 2005 – 15 July 2009. As commander, he oversaw the final phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War, which resulted in the total defeat of the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam organisation. He also survived an assassination attempt when an LTTE suicide bomber attacked his motorcade in April 2006. Following the end of the war Fonseka was promoted to a four star rank in the Sri Lanka Army, |
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Amid rumours of his desire to enter politics, he subsequently retired from the post on 16 November 2009. On 29 November 2009, Fonseka formally announced his candidature in the 2010 Sri Lankan Presidential Election. His candidacy was endorsed by the main opposition parties, and Fonseka became the main opposition candidate challenging President Rajapaksa. He campaigned under the sign of a swan, and the slogan Vishvasaniya Venasak (A Credible Change). Following his election defeat, Fonseka was arrested on 8 February 2010, and the government announced he will be court-martialed for committing "military |
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source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarath_Fonseka
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