What's all this fuss about a secret swearing-in
"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "what
is all this fuss about a secret swearing-in ceremony for Satellite?"
"Satellite is supposed to have taken oaths again one year after
she won the election…" Bindu's father Percy explained.
"And
why would she do that?"
"They claim it would enable her to stay for six years after
that instead of six years after the election…"
Percy said, "although I can't understand what all this fuss
is about…"
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu asked, "isn't
it unfair to continue for more than six years from the day of the
election?"
"Well,
it has been going on for the last thirty years…" Percy
observed.
"How is that, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Why, it was Satellite's mother who started it…"
"Why do you say that?"
"Why when we became a Republic in 1972, the lady said she had
five years to serve from that day instead of the day she was elected
on…"
"What happened then, thaaththa?"
"Well,
the Old Fox who was leading the opposition then protested and even
resigned his seat in Parliament…"
"Did anything come out of that?"
"Well," Percy recalled, "he seemed to have learned
his lesson because when he came into power in 1977 he too said his
term as President began when he took oaths as President in 1978
and not on the day he was elected…"
"But he didn't postpone elections, did he?" Bindu wanted
to know.
"No,
he did better than that and held no elections at all, holding a
referendum instead…"
"But thaaththa," Bindu argued, "he did hold the presidential
elections on time…"
"That he did," Percy agreed, "but then, he was no
longer a contestant then…"
"So, thaaththa," Bindu said, "it looks as if only
Dearly Beloved went gracefully…"
"That's true," Percy said, "although what puzzles
me is Seeni Bola is now saying that Satellite had no such second
swearing-in…"
"But
the person who presided at the ceremony has confirmed that it indeed
happened…" Bindu pointed out.
"Which can only mean that Seeni Bola was not Satellite's trusted
faithful even when he thought he was…" Percy noted.
"But thaaththa," Bindu queried, "isn't there a difference
between the extensions that all the previous leaders sought and
the one that Satellite is seeking?"
"What's
that?" Percy was puzzled.
"Why, thaaththa, all the previous extensions and ceremonies
were done publicly even though there were protests but this was
done in secret…"
"Which is the new trend in our judiciary…" Percy
said.
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?"
"Why we have lawyers who are now called 'Poya Counsel' because
they get suspects discharged by producing them in court on poya
days…"
"What's that got to do with this?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Why,
now we have 'Secret Ceremony' judges who conduct swearing in ceremonies
in private…"
"It is not fair to call all of them 'Secret Ceremony' judges,
thaaththa…" Bindu said.
"Then," Percy suggested, "may be we should call one
of them the 'Ceremony Justice'…"
Bindu looked as if he was about to be impeached.
|
