COLOMBO: Twenty years ago, President Mahinda Rajapakse who was sworn in as the fifth President of Sri Lanka on November 19, 2005, was one of the strongest advocates of human rights, known both locally as well as internationally for

his pursuit of justice and media freedom.

Once a prominent leader who actively protested against disappearances that took place in the country between 1988 and 1990, he now has to contend with the fact that today under his leadership people are abducted, disappeared or killed and media freedom seriously affected.

In less than three years into his six-year term, President Rajapakse still talks of upholding media freedom and carrying out proper inquires into attacks against media personnel and institutions. But the attacks and the violence continues. And some of President Rajapakse’s key supporters who campaigned for him in November 2005, are now campaigning towards his downfall, among them former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike.

Meanwhile, recent surveys have revealed that President Rajapakse’s popularity with the majority Sinhala community still stood somewhat solidly with many believing that he was capable of annihilating the terrorism of the LTTE. But the war begun early this year following the government formally annulling the ceasefire is spiralling on with no clear winner in sight, despite heavy casualties to the Tiger rebels.

The troubles of President Rajapakse have also drastically increased due to the pro-poor policy with which he campaigned for the presidency failing to check the soaring cost of living which is driving the poorest of the poor to suicide.

Submerged by accusation of corruption and waste in various government ministries, even close friends of Rajapakse admit he is under increasing pressure to retain the support of at least the segment of society which approve of his war against the LTTE.

“There are many in this country who know that this is the only president who has resolutely carried out a successful campaign against LTTE terror,” Defence spokesman Keheliye Rambukwella said when contacted. However, he conceded that where the country’s economy was concerned ‘there are certain difficulties’, for which he blamed the globally rising oil prices. President Rajapakse last week instructed an austerity drive that will reduce the monthly monetary allocation to all government ministries by 50 per cent.

Ministries deemed as ‘unnecessary’ will be cut and foreign travel of all ministers will be restricted, government officials said.

President Rajapakse has also ordered his ministers to stop renting expensive building complexes. Last month, a dramatic hike in the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs30 a litre and of kerosene by Rs10 a litre has taken the woes of the local consumers to disastrous limits.

This is the ninth time since January 2007 that Sri Lanka, which consumes close to four million tons of imported fuel products every year, has increased the fuel prices.

However, despite President Mahinda Rajapakse blaming the country’s economic deterioration on the global oil prices, Sri Lanka’s peace lobbyists say it is a needless war which is feeding inflation.

“Sri Lanka needs to immediately look at ways of ending the conflict for which the government is spending millions of dollars. If this is not done immediately the country ends up as the loser in the end,” Media Director of the National Peace Council, Dr Jehan Perera opined.

Hope of a possible revival of peace talks rose over the weekend with a high- powered Indian delegation arriving in the country. India’s Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and India’s Defence Secretary Vijay Singh arrived in Colombo on Friday morning, diplomatic sources said amidst speculation that discussions would take place with Sri Lankan leaders concerning a possible revival of talks.

However, sources close to President Rajapakse as well as critics say peace is far from his mind.

“To go in for peace now would mean that the government is backing out on its campaign to eradicate the LTTE. But the president might entertain thoughts of peace if the LTTE lays down arms,” a senior government minister said amidst categorical refusals to disarm by the rebels.

Analysts, meanwhile, say that although President Rajapakse was described as the hawkish Presidential candidate in 2005, compared to UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, the chances that he would attempt to revive peace talks was not completely left out by peace lobbyists. But now with three years of war, both critics and supporters alike of the president agree that the legacy of President Mahinda Rajapakse could be an unending war, that gets bloodier day by day.