Cloning JR to beat a President for life

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

"Why, that has been postponed," Bindu's father Percy explained.

"But thaaththa, I thought everyone wanted it cancelled_"

"It may eventually be cancelled," Percy agreed, "but for the moment, Satellite has only postponed it_"

"But thaaththa," Bindu protested, "doesn't it cost millions of rupees to have a referendum?"

"It was supposed to cost some five hundred million rupees and already some twenty million rupees have been spent to print ballot papers_" Percy observed.

"So, just because Satellite changed her mind it cost the country twenty million rupees_" Bindu argued.

"You shouldn't look at it like that, Bindu" Percy advised.

"But that's what happened, isn't it?"

"But don't you realise that Satellite may have saved the country the balance millions?" Percy countered.

"But thaaththa, I thought everybody was blaming Satellite_" Bindu said.

"Why should anyone blame her?" Percy queried.

"Why, thaaththa, she has closed down Parliament, she is supposed to be governing with a minority, then she calls for a referendum and now she postpones it_" Bindu pointed out.

"I thought everybody should be praising her_" Percy said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, Bindu, though she wanted to have a referendum, when all these people started protesting, she gave up the idea_"

"I thought she gave up the idea because she was going to lose_"

"Of course not," Percy said, "she gave up the idea because the Maha Sangha advised her against it_"

"So, what you are saying is that we haven't had such a reasonable leader in recent times_"

"She has certainly acted very reasonably in the last few months_" Percy agreed.

"But what about all these disasters, thaaththa?"

"What disasters?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, that attack on the airport and all the adverse effects of that?"

"We should count ourselves lucky about that_" Percy said.

"What do you mean?" Bindu was puzzled.

"Why, they say that the Tigers wanted to hijack a plane and then bomb Palaly with that_'

"Why didn't they do that, then ?" Bindu asked.

"Obviously because our security was so good, they were able to prevent that_"

"And who takes the credit for that?"

"Why, the credit must go to the Minister of Defence and her deputy, of course_" Percy said.

"And that's Satellite again_" Bindu observed.

"So, Bindu, do you now realize how fortunate we are to have such a wise and far-thinking leader?" Percy asked.

"Then, now that we have spent the money on the ballot papers anyway, maybe we should have a referendum and ask whether Satellite should be made leader for life_"

"I don't think you need a referendum for that_" Percy said.

"Why do you say that?"

"With the kind of Opposition we have that is a real possibility_" Percy said.

"But there is hope for them too, thaaththa," Bindu said.

"How is that?"

"Why, thaaththa, they want to clone humans now_" Bindu said.

"So, whom do you want to clone to beat Satellite?" Percy asked.

"If they can somehow clone some one like JR, they may have a chance_" Bindu said.

"That's the only chance they have_" Percy said.

Bindu didn't disagree.

The Jungle Telegraph

Editorial/ Opinion Contents