Sri Lanka today sacked 12 senior military officers alleging they are a threat to national security. Sources said President Mahinda Rajapaksa sent the officers on compulsory retirement for hatching a political conspiracy during the January 26 Presidential polls that saw incumbent Rajapaksa trouncing his former Army Chief General Sarath Fonseka.<br/><br/>The officers included three major generals and two brigadiers and are accused of interfering in politics during the polls. The defence ministry in a statement confirmed that some senior officers were sent on compulsory retirement. Rajapakse is also understood to have transferred several senior military officers loyal to the former army general who he defeated in elections.<br/><br/>AIR correspondent Kanchan Prasad reports from Colombo that Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa secured a historic second mandate on the peace and development plank mainly on the support of the majority Sinhalese vote. Clearly the slogan did not enthuse the ethnic minorities, namely the Tamils of North & East, hill-country Tamils and the Muslims.<br/><br/>This is evident from the fact the most of the districts dominated by the Tamils and Muslims have voted for the defeated candidate retired General Sarath Fonseka. Observers believe the fractured verdict is the biggest challenge for Mr. Rajapaksa in his second term.<br/><br/>In the joint press conference today pro LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader, R. Sampanthan and the leader of the Sri Lankan Muslim congress (SLMC) , Rauff Hakeem while charging the government for electoral malpractices also said that it is time for ‘introspection and retrospection’ by the ruling regime to re assess the situation in the North and the East.<br/><br/>Political commentators feel that Presidential results are indicative that development alone cannot reconcile the ethnically polarized Sri Lankan society and establish durable peace and build a robust post-war economy.<br/><br/>A healing touch and reconciliation where the minorities feel part of the mainstream society is the need of the hour. Giving voice to political aspirations is also a must for winning the heart and the trust of the ethnic minority.<br/><br/>TNA leader R Sampanthan said given the context of war, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa must fulfill his promise of ‘maximum possible devolution to the provinces without compromising the national sovereignty’.<br/><br/>In another development a group of senior Sri Lankan military officers have been asked to go on ‘compulsory retirement’ for involving themselves in party politics in the recently concluded Presidential election. These army officers were allegedly considered close to the defeated opposition candidate retired General Sarth Fonseka.