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TIMES POSTCARD
Taking the Cabinet out of the closet
By Rajpal Abeynayake
Do not leak Cabinet secrets, says the President. That should be endorsed. Particularly when there is a solution at hand. J. R. Jayewardene the late President had already advanced that solution. Which is to have Cabinet sessions at Galle Face green.

He said so, when he found in his first term, closed-door Cabinet sessions reported verbatim by a certain intrepid reporter. If the current President does not like Galle Face as a location (because it is green) she can think of alternatives.

Independence square will be better. Or perhaps Akaksa Kade, with hoppers sold at the public viewing gallery. J. R. Jayewardene was definitely onto something when he talked of Cabinet meetings at Galle Face. Cabinet briefings at Akasda Kade will ensure that Cabinet secrets will be kept.

It will open out the system - - like giving an amnesty for black money. Cabinet secrets will lose their mystique. Over Akasa Kade hoppers, wheeling and dealing will sound just as tame as opening libraries and ceremonially unveiling portraits.

Reporters will have to resort to other thrills and spills. They can write about which Deputy Minister's son will next break glasses at which night club. There are immense possibilities: "Nancy's nightclub will be a good place tonight if you need to let out the old adrenalin,'' they can write. "The other discothèque near the Hilton Hotel is bound to be a bit too dull in comparison.''

The Sinhala papers can have a nice new column for the weekly scoop on Ministerial son's behaviour titled "Kavuda Mevata Vagakiyanne?'' In the bad old days, which are now called the good old days or vice versa depending on how you see it, secrets were delivered over different devices. Such as the pillow. In the 1960s a coup attempt was foiled, the historians say, because one of the plotters told his wife. The rest as you know is history.

But these things happen. In Switzerland, women did not have the right to vote until somewhere in the 60s. But then women got the right to sit in the two houses of parliament, and a woman Cabinet Minister delivered a cabinet secret to her husband. The rest is history in Switzerland. Now some says the Swiss in their wisdom delayed entry for women into politics till the 1960s for obvious reasons.

But here we have the lady President of Sri Lanka saying that she can't keep secrets. Yet, she promised in 1994 that everything except her sari will be transparent. Why doesn't she say " so we kept at least one promise.'' Have the Cabinet briefings at Akaksa Kade.

Have it in the next election manifesto - we promised transparency, and which newspaper can say we haven't given it. It might drive "we saw it through the keyhole'' type of butler journalists out of business, but who cares. They can still write things like "the President had both lunu miris and katta sambol for breakfast -- my my what a sweet tooth she has.'' Trust Sri Lankan readers to be titillated to the point of tears.

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