We the people are talking about elections
Mahinda Rajapakse says that the Sri Lankan people want an election. He said it the other day, and showed most of his front teeth to drive home the point.

Perhaps other than his party folks the others are not real folks as far as Rajapakse is concerned, in which case his mathematics is correct. Because Rajapakse has not carried out a referendum to say that the people want an election.

He said the people are also tired of the quarrel between the Prime Minister and the President which is why they want an election. But an election is going to cost some 60 million, he was reminded, to which he deadpanned that this standoff is going to cost even more.

So, for one, he is admitting that if the politicians decide to bash each other in the head, the people have to pay for it, literally. He had no regrets on this point. This apart it is very unfortunate that we are veering towards an election or any such device to smoothen the edges of his poll theory. No, he is thick as a thief about it - the people want an election he says because we the leaders are fighting.

Now we know that he is going to come out with a book soon with more political theory on these lines. He says the people will pay more taxes because they think we need better cars.

According to him, soon, the people will also veer towards the idea that there should be no elections after he is voted into power. How did he know it? He just divined it. You don't need to spend a cent for elections with this man around -- he knows the pulse of a nation without opening one ballot box, so why spend 60 million in the first place? His next pamphlet is going to be titled anyway, for the moment - 'man does not live by bread alone, he needs elections.'

When he talks about elections he does not talk about money and economy and such things at all. In the night, he dreams of the people and they tell him that the nation needs an election. This is why he dresses almost like a religious figure; he has revelations that we other mortals are not privileged with.

Both parties we heard want elections anyway - - - because there is a notion that both India and America are having elections which is no reason why the other power Sri Lanka should not be having one. When America is having primaries and caucuses and conventions and when India is having stump speeches and campaigns why should we be doing the silly monotonous thing, improving our economy?

Makes us wonder, if they are going to do it anyway, why they don't get into the trenches and do it? But the economy has to die a slow death due to the apprehension of an election. What are elections for anyway, if they are not going to make the businessmen a little leaner, because it's not the businessmen who are telling them to have an election, it's the people. In his next interview Rajapakse is going to say just that.

This is people against capitalists - that's right, us against them, Punchisingho against the rich investor. Punchisingho is asking for elections to stymie the will of the arch capitalist. With such astute almost divine patronage provided to our people, Rajapakse will next time be dressed for interviews in nothing but a halo.

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