Anoma Fonseka, wife of retired Sri Lankan army General, Sarath Fonseka, attended General Fonseka's party (Democratic National Alliance) manifesto launch ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 16/03/2010.
General Fonseka was set to face a military court on Tuesday on charges of engaging in politics while in office. The former army commander has denied the allegations and said these were politically motivated and aimed at denying him the chance to run in parliamentary elections next month. Sri Lanka's parliamentary elections will be held on April 8. The characters on the front page of the manifesto reads, "Pact of Humanity. Work plan for victory of the country.
Sri Lanka's former army chief, now a sworn political enemy of President Mahinda Rajapakse, faced a military court Tuesday on controversial charges that could see him jailed for up to five years.
Sarath Fonseka, a war hero last year after helping end the country's 37-year civil war, stepped down as military chief in November and unsuccessfully challenged Rajapakse in January elections.
He faced a three-member panel on Tuesday at the beginning of a court martial on a charge of illegally engaging in politics while serving in the military. He faces a parallel charge of making irregular military procurements.
President Rajapakse has been accused by political opponents and international human rights groups of suppressing dissent and tightening his grip on the opposition and media since his resounding re-election in January.
The proceedings Tuesday ended after nearly three hours with the panel fixing a further hearing for the charge of engaging in politics on April 6, two days before the parliamentary elections at which Fonseka is a candidate.
The military stepped up security in Colombo and dozens of Fonseka supporters were dispersed with tear-gas and batons as they tried to stage a demonstration at a city suburb, police said.
Fonseka was arrested after senior government figures declared that he was planning a military coup and had conspired to assassinate the president, but none of these more serious charges has been brought against him.
Fonseka and Rajapakse crushed the Tamil Tiger separatist rebels last May ending the guerrillas' nearly four-decade struggle for a Tamil homeland that left up to 100,000 people dead, according to a UN estimate.
Fonseka has challenged his arrest and detention in the Supreme Court, which has fixed a hearing for April 26.
