Fifth Column

7th November 1999

Your guess is as good as mine

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"Thaaththa", Bindu Udagedera asked, "what will happen to the election now?"

"Well" said Percy Udagedera, Bindu's father, "I suppose it will be held on schedule…"

"Yes" Bindu agreed, " But who will win?"

"It's still too early to say now…" Percy answered tactfully.

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, we shouldn't make predictions until the election is held…" Percy cautioned.

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, Bindu, we all remember what happened at Wayamba, don't we?"

"But Thaaththa, Satellite herself called Wayamba a disgrace…"

"But, Bindu, she did nothing about it. I'm only surprised that she didn't say that election was rigged by the greens just as a conspiracy to embarrass the government…"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because" Percy explained, "when thugs assaulted the greens, her media man said the greens got themselves assaulted by their own thugs just to embarrass the government…"

"But thaaththa" Bindu argued, "many people say that Satellite will win again…"

"But", Percy pointed out, "those same people say they themselves will not vote for her…"

"But thaaththa, there are all these people crossing over…"

"Bindu", Percy recalled "remember all those people who crossed over at each election?"

"Who are they, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.

"The best examples I can think of are Ronnie and the Crown Prince…"

"And what about them?"

"Well, they have spent most of their time in the opposition now, haven't they?"

"So, do you think the people who cross-over will be in the opposition after the elections, thaaththa?"

"That is not the real issue, Bindu" Percy said.

"Then, thaaththa, what is the issue?" Bindu wanted to know.

"The issue is whether those who are crossing over are doing so on principle or just to be in power…"

"Probably the latter, then…" Bindu suggested.

"And then", Percy said, "the other issue how a government can accept the very people it accused of corruption…"

"Then, thaaththa," Bindu pointed out, " what about Thonda? He too crossed-over, didn't he?"

"But Bindu, he is one of those who made sure he was always on the winning side…"

"But now that he is no more, thaaththa, what will happen to those votes?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Bindu…"

"Some say those votes will go to the greens now because he is not there anymore to lead the campaign for Satellite…"

"There may be some truth in that" Percy conceded.

"So, his absence will really be felt…"

"Yes, Bindu" Percy agreed, "but not only in deciding who the winner of the next election is…"

"How else, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.

"For twenty years, Thonda made many enemies fighting for many things; but what he won for his people ensured that there was no terrorism in the plantations…"

"And now, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.

"And now" Percy said, "we can no longer be sure about that too…"

Bindu didn't want to disagree.

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