POLITICAL SKETCHBOOK

POLITICAL SKETCHBOOK by Rajpal Abeynayaka

Paparazzi paparazzi - where have you been?
Try as we might, it is hard to keep the gossip out of the politics in this country as the politics is most of the time the gossip. In Britain, there was a time when the press and generally what was known as the paprazzi was being hated for giving hell to Royalty and generally intruding on their private lives. The catchphrase used to be that the press has to be given a last warning. That the press "is drinking in the last chance saloon.''

In Sri Lanka the press and the politicians are drinking - - and they will drink, and drink together in the first chance saloon. No harm done, as long as the politicians don't co-opt the press or the press doesn't co-opt the politicians, but the question is, what are the readers thinking?

The press - -- whatever saloon they may be drinking in -- - cannot help but drink at the politician's invitations as well. Not that most are complaining. But, the issue is that most of the politics happens even as the politicians get together in body and in spirit.

For instance, there were reports in almost all newspapers that Charitha Ratwatte the Treasury Secretary met some of his arch detractors in the form of politicians at a party that was thrown recently by a Minister. If Charitha Ratwatte knew he was being made a star by attending just one party - - perhaps he would have been even better dressed for the occasion. He never joined the Ministerial sartorial exposition, which looked like a special fashion day for men with spare tyres and more chins than a Chinese phone book.

But that's another matter. How the news percolates from hereon about various Ministers saying sweet political nothings to their Treasury Secretary is a mystery. It is a new kind of journalism --- it is certainly not paparazzi journalism, because the paparazzi here is on the inside, and most times it's the Ministers who are chasing them.

In this backdrop, one wonders how it is all decided. I don't mean to suggest that Charitha Ratwatte was asked to come for the party because the press wanted something juicy on a wan day ---- but then, it is not difficult to think what the press can come up with if the right mix of people get together at a party.

It is a cocktail made in heaven. And while the British paparazzi got all their thrills and spills chasing the Royalty rather dangerously, (sometimes endangering the life and limb of those who stalk as well as those who are stalked) here the press gets the story while they have a drink and take a bite off some exotic servings of canapés.

It used to be an Editors dictum that three things sell in newspapers -- finance, sex and crime. But here in Colombo, nothing, not even a zoomshot of a Princess sun-bathing sells more than a politician uttering some quasi-profundity at a party. If the Foreign Minister tells the Treasury man that his vote is not to be touched - - that's news, as if man has bitten dog, and the dog has then gone and demanded to be bitten twice...

Towards the end of these social occasions nobody seems to want to go home. The politicians are there, almost standing in line, waiting to plant something reportable on a journalist - -and the journalists are there, until some politician trips up and makes news -- - or literally trips up in which case the paper has a bonus.

Only a few like Joseph Michael Perera, looking like he is just returning after a meditation class but sounding rather incoherent, leave the premises early. But then, he is the Speaker - - and he can't exactly plant anything earthshaking on a moonlighting scribe.

Back to Columns