Possible Military Coup in Srilanka – Warns Wickremabahu

New Left Front leader Wickramabahu Karunaratne  in an article to an English paper warned, that there is a possibility of staging a military coup in Srilanka. He quoted as saying  defeated politicians, who are unable to defeat democratically elected good governance  government  and unable to bear the heat aimed at them may instigate the military to stage a coup. There are supporters of the joint opposition in the army. Most of them were recruited and elevated to higher ranks by the previous government.

To support his thinking, he quoted an instance, where  Army Major Salage has made a request to  Jaffna visiting Minister, Mangala to appoint two army representatives in Geneva based Human Rights Council,  which was rightfully turned down by the Minister. In this instance, Mangala did the correct thing. How can an army officer confront a Minister in this manner? This is a challenge to democracy. From where he derived this authority? Salage earlier served in Mahinda’s Security Contingent,  when he was the President. Subsequent to this incident, he was transferred from Jaffna to Colombo.

After the 2010 election and subsequent arrest of Sarath Fonseka, Salage was given promotion and elevated to a higher rank. Fascist  frustrated elements in joint opposition may add fuel to fire and encourage to stage a military coup.He warned that such a military coup cannot be completely ruled out.