"I think the Greens want them appointed, but Satellite is reluctant..."

"Why is that?" Bindu wanted to know.

"She may be thinking it is a waste of money.."

"But thaaththa," Bindu argued, "she herself had so many ministers..."

"That," Percy said, "is because both camps are appointing ministers for the same reason..."

"What reason is that?"

"To prevent them from crossing over to the other side..."

"But thaaththa, who pays for all this?"

"Why, Bindu, you, me and now even innocent housemaids working in the Middle East..."

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, they are now taxing the money that they send home by fifteen per cent..."
"Why is that?"

"How else can they find the money to pay all the new ministers..."

"But thaaththa," Bindu suggested, "I think they should appoint some more ministers..."
"Why should they do that?" Percy was puzzled.

"There are many more important jobs for them to do..."

"What are you suggesting?"Percy queried.

"For instance, in addition to the Minister of Education, they can appoint a 'navaka vadaya nethikireeme amathi' ..."

"Then," Percy added, "maybe they should appoint a 'badu mila paalanayakireeme amathi' in addition to the Finance Minister..."

"He would certainly have a lot of work," Bindu said, "as would a 'saama kathaa amathi'..."

"That portfolio has already been taken by the Professor, I believe..." Percy said.

"He is the 'Koti samaga saama kathaa amathi'..."Bindu said, "but we should have a 'Janaadhipathi samaga saama kathaa amathi' also..."

"I am sure Karu and Milinda would fight for that job..." Percy observed.

"But we could have even more ministers..." Bindu suggested.

"Who are they?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, we can have a 'Dengue mardana amathi' to assist the Health Minister..."

"Then, maybe a 'night club paalanaya kireeme amathi' to assist the Defence Minister..."

"And a 'hira danduwam paalanaya kireeme amathi' to help the Minister of Justice..." Bindu proposed.

"Then, a 'saama kathaa sandahaa koti pravaahanaya kireeme amathi' to assist the Minister of Transport..."

"With all these new ministers from the Greens, Satellite might want a few ministers of her own..." Bindu said.

"She certainly could do with a 'velaava beleeme amathi'..." Percy suggested.
"And maybe she would benefit from a 'Janaadhipathige prasidhdha prakaasha paalanaya kireeme amathi'..."

"He certainly would be a busy man," Percy agreed.

"But thaaththa," Bindu wanted to know, "with all these ministers, wouldn't it be difficult to run a government..."

"Of course not, Bindu", Percy said, "the aim of having more and more ministers is to make the government more efficient..."

"But won't the remaining few members of Parliament feel left out if almost everybody is a minister?" Bindu asked.

"That's when he or she threatens to cross over to the other side and is then rewarded with a ministry of their own..."

"But how do you control that?" Bindu wanted to know.

"That's easy," Percy said, "you appoint that person as the 'amathi thanathuru bedahereeme amathi'..."

Bindu didn't want to argue with that strategy.

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