Agreeing to abolish Presidency could be only a dream
"Thaaththa", Bindu Udagedera asked, "what do you
think will happen in the New Year?"
"Why," Percy Udagedera asked, "is there anything
about to happen?"
"Why, thaaththa, the coming year promises to be a very eventful
one…"
"Why do
you say that?"
"It is because the year that is ending was a very eventful
one…"
"So," Percy asked, "what do you think will happen?
Will we ever live happily ever after?"
"Not if Satellite continues to be in this mood…"
"Why do you say that?" Percy was curious.
"Why,
thaaththa, only last week she scrapped one ministry and created
a new one with most departments assigned to herself…"
"This must be the new spirit of cohabitation…"
"It will certainly make the workings of government very much
easier…"
"Why do you say that?"
"Why,
thaaththa, if Satellite assigns all the ministries to herself she
can conduct cabinet meetings by looking at the mirror…"
"And most television stations and newspapers will appear as
if we are being ruled by the blues…"
"But thaaththa," Bindu argued, "that is exactly why
we are the perfect democracy…"
"Why do you say that, Bindu?"
"Why,
we must be the only country in the world where the opposition controls
the state media…"
"And what's more, we now have a task force on free media working
on that to see what can be done to improve the current arrangements…"
"And meanwhile the Green Man can continue to meet Satellite
for talks on getting the defence ministry back…" Percy
observed.
"And Mano
and Malik will continue to meet and issue statements that their
talks to negotiate a settlement between Satellite and Green Man
are continuing in a cordial atmosphere…"
"And Velu will keep on saying that the war would have been
over if not for the bickering between the parties in the South…"
"And Rauff will of course have to keep on fighting within his
own party instead of fighting his rivals…"
"And the
Tamil parties will continue to be a mouthpiece for the Tigers…"
Percy said.
"While countries like England and America continue to tell
us how important it is to settle our problems through peace talks…"
"Even though they allowed terrorists to operate in their countries
for many, many years…" Percy noted.
"While
in the meantime our average citizen complains about rising prices,
frequent strikes and arrogant politicians who throw their weight
about…"
"And while Satellite makes arrangements to extend her term
of office by one more year by taking oaths again without even letting
us know about it…"
"Who can blame her?" Percy asked, "like mother, like
daughter; we should be thankful she didn't try to extend it by two
years…"
"But thaaththa," Bindu wanted to know, "isn't there
a way out of all this so we can make next year different?"
"There
sure is, Bindu…" Percy said.
"And what
is that?"
"If Satellite is so much against this 'bahubootha' constitution
as she calls it and if the Green Man is so much a victim of Satellite's
tactics these days all they need to do is get together and abolish
the
presidential system…"
"That sounds easy enough…"
"But if
they do that, how would the Green Man get his revenge on the blues
and Satellite when he comes to power next?" Percy asked.
Bindu did not attempt to answer that.ax
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