Rajapeksa is following the time tested path towards dictatorship. First he uses his armed forces to decimate the Tamil Tigers. All captured and surrendering Tamil Tigers are carefully executed and a great Sinhala victory proclaimed. There is much rejoicing but he wants to hog all the kudos so he decides to fire his army chief who won the victory. Fonseca then stands against Rajapeksa in the presidential elections held recently and is soundly beaten, whether by fair means or foul we do not know. After all the Sri Lankans are still worshiping their hero so he faces no opposition. However the international community is accusing him of war crimes in indiscriminate shelling of ordinary Tamils and murder of unarmed Tamil Tigers. Despite his bravado he is scared of facing a situation like Omar Bashir of Sudan wherein he is branded a criminal and an international warrant is issued for his arrest. So he has to remove the man who has first hand knowledge of all the crimes committed on the Tamil people. Fonseca has been arrested and even before any trial we are told that he will be sent to jail for five years. Unfortunately memories of victims do not fade so easily and Rajapeksa will have to face elections again. To escape justice he will have to find ways to stay president for life. Perhaps he could ask Robert Mugabe how it is done.