So
Satellite has killed two birds with one stone!
“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “what is all
this fuss about signing an agreement?”
“Why, Bindu, this is supposed to be the Joint Mechanism that
everyone is talking about…” Bindu’s father Percy
explained.
“Yes,” Bindu said, “but why is everyone blaming
Satellite for it? She didn’t even sign it…”
“Yes,”
Percy said, “but what they ask is why it was done in such
secrecy if it was such a harmless exercise…”
“So, what happens now?” Bindu wanted to know.
“Why,
should anything extra-ordinary happen?” Percy was puzzled.
“Why, thaaththa, the sahodarayas have left, the Buddhist monks
are on the war path and the government has no majority…”
Bindu pointed out.
“But Satellite is still very much in control and she doesn’t
need a majority in Parliament anyway…” Percy argued.
“But
thaaththa, how can she survive when the combined opposition in Parliament
has almost a two-thirds majority?” Bindu wanted to know.
“Ah,” Percy said, “remember, she is a great survivor.
She survived a bomb blast and she even survived through a Green
government for two long years and eventually ousted them…”
“But
thaaththa,” Bindu said, “at least in theory, the opposition
can bring down her government at any time…”
“That won’t happen, Bindu,” Percy said, “not
just now anyway…”
“How can you say that?”
“To bring down the government, someone has to pass a vote
of no confidence…”
“But anyone can do that if they want to…” Bindu
observed.
“That is precisely the point, Bindu,” Percy said, “no
one wants to do that just now…”
“Why
is that, thaaththa?” Bindu queried.
“The reds don’t want to do that because they know that
if an election is held now it will probably be advantageous to the
greens…”
“But then, the Greens must surely be wanting an election…”
Bindu said.
“No, the Greens want the presidential elections first because
they know that they probably won’t get a clear majority in
Parliament right now and even if they did, they would still have
to work under Satellite which they don’t want to do…”
“But
what about the Buddhist monks, thaaththa?”
“They would probably like to have an election now,”
Percy agreed, “but then we all know they won’t be able
to form a government all by themselves…”
“So, despite all these fasts, protests and tear gas, nothing
will really happen…” Bindu declared.
“You
know how it is, Bindu,” Percy said, “they will protest
and fast for a few days or weeks and then all will be forgotten
when the next cricket team arrives in the country…”
“So, all this has been in vain…” Bindu said.
“Well, not exactly…”
“Why do you say that, thaaththa?”
“Satellite
has killed two birds with one stone…” Percy said.
“How is that?” Bindu wanted to know, “I thought
she stand to lose her popularity with all these protests…”
“That
may be so,” Percy said, “but because she signed the
agreement, the Reds can’t now support Mahinda when he becomes
the presidential candidate and will have to field a candidate of
their own…”
“But that will only ensure Mahinda’s defeat…”
Bindu said.
“And that’s why I am saying that Satellite has killed
two birds with one stone…” Percy said.
Bindu wished he could disagree. |
