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Who enjoys the constitutional nonsense?
"Thaaththa", Bindu Udagedera asked, "is this the end of cohabitation?"
"Why should that happen?" Bindu's father Percy wanted to know.
"Why, thaaththa, the Greens say they want a general election."
"Ah," Percy said, "people always want what they do not have."
"Why do you say that?"
"Why, Bindu, earlier the Greens wanted to make sure that Satellite did not dissolve Parliament and there were signs that Satellite was planing to dissolve Parliament when the one year deadline passes."
"And what happened then?" Bindu wanted to know.
"And now that Satellite has given an assurance that Parliament will not be dissolved, the Greens want to dissolve it themselves."
"But thaaththa," Bindu argued, "isn't all this the result of the court ruling?"
"Yes," Percy conceded, "one could say it is."
"But thaaththa, how can they say that people shouldn't vote according to their conscience."
"There is nothing wrong in that." Percy said.
"But thaaththa, are they suggesting that they should vote against their conscience?"
"They are only suggesting that they vote according to the decisions of their Party."
"But if that is against their conscience, they can't do anything about it." Bindu persisted.
"Ah, that is where you are wrong, Bindu." Percy said.
"Why do you say that?"
"The court, in all its wisdom, has seen what we ordinary people did not see until now, which is why they have said you can't vote according to your conscience."
"And what have they seen?" Bindu demanded.
"They have realised that people in the House never have a conscience; they have only their interest at heart.
So, what's the point in having a law that says you can vote according to your conscience? It will only make it easier for you to accept a bribe from the other side and vote with them, saying you are voting with your conscience."
"But thaaththa," Bindu protested, "what if a person is really convinced that he should vote against what his Party has decided?"
"Then," Percy said, "he can vote against the Party and risk losing his seat. A man with a real conscience will still go ahead and do that, won't he?"
"But thaaththa" Bindu wanted to know, "what will happen now?"
"Well," Percy said, "it has once again been proven who is boss, under this Constitution."
"What do you mean?" Bindu queried.
"Of course, Bindu, you wouldn't be able to remember what happened ten years ago but even then there was an attempt by the House to clip the wings of the then Boss and that too ended in a victory for him."
"And what does that prove?"
"It shows just how powerful this so called 'bahubootha' Constitution of Junius is."
"But thaaththa, there is someone else other than Junius who must be enjoying all this constitutional nonsense."
"Who is that?", Percy asked, "Are you thinking of the Professor?"
"No, of course not," Bindu said, "this must be a nightmare for him. Remember, he provided a draft to Satellite which she couldn't get through the House and now he has done it again to the Green Man."
"Who are you thinking about, then?" Percy wanted to know.
"Why, thaaththa, Velu must be delighted with all this. He has succeeded in the 'divide and rule' policy without really even having to make an effort at it."
Percy couldn't disagree with that.

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