One
JM down but not out, another to go
“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “what will
happen to the JM now?”
“What do you mean?” Percy asked, puzzled.
“Why, thaaththa, the Supreme Court has said certain aspects
of the Joint Mechanism need to be reviewed…”
“Ah,
so you are worried about the Joint Mechanism…” Percy
said.
“Yes,” Bindu said, “because I remember Satellite
saying she would implement the JM somehow even if it cost her life…”
“Then,” Percy suggested, “maybe she should now
stage a ‘maaranathika upawaasaya’…”
“Yes,”
Bindu agreed, “because there was such a hue and cry when death
fasts were being staged against the JM…”
“But Bindu,” Percy observed, “our memories are
so short…”
“Why do you say that, thaaththa?” Bindu wanted to know.
“Why, everyone said there would be chaos in the country if
the JM was implemented…” Percy recalled.
“And
then Satellite presented it to Parliament and although there were
a few protests then everyone has now forgotten all about it…”
“Yes,” Percy agreed, “especially since the West
Indies cricketers are here now, people will be more worried about
cricket matches than about the JM…”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu said, “even if people have
forgotten all about the protests over the JM, Satellite cannot implement
it now because there is a court order against it…”
“But,”
Percy pointed out, “the Supreme Court has not completely overruled
the JM, it has only suspended its implementation until further inquiry…”
“But Wimal and the Rathu sahodarayas will claim that they
have done a great service to the country by having the JM suspended,
at least for a while …”
“And there is little that Satellite can do about it…”
“So,
what happens to the JM now, thaaththa?” Bindu queried.
“I suppose, Satellite will still claim victory in the battle
over the JM…”
“How can she do that, thaaththa?” Bindu was puzzled.
“Why, the Rathu Sahodarayas asked for an order saying that
Satellite had no right to enter into an agreement with the Tigers
but the Courts have said she can do so...” Percy explained.
“So,
Satellite has been given the right to enter into an agreement but
implementing that agreement has been effectively suspended…”
Bindu said.
“That’s right,” Percy agreed, “but what
we must all remember is that all this means very little to the people
actually affected by the Tsunami even though the JM may be a prestige
battle for Satellite and the Reds now…”
“It appears as if ‘JM’ spells bad luck for Satellite,
thaaththa…” Bindu said.
“Why do you say that?”
“Why,
thaaththa, Satellite will now have to concede that the concerns
raised by the JM were valid after all, just as much as the concerns
raised at the other JM…” Bindu said.
“And what is this other JM?” Percy wanted to know.
“Why,
thaaththa, the ‘Janabala Meheyuma’…”
“Well,” Percy said, “everyone agrees that the
‘Janabala Meheyuma’ was a success for the Greens but
Satellite’s worst JM is yet to come…”
“What JM is that, thaaththa?” Bindu asked.
“Why, Bindu, the ‘Janaadhipathi Methiwaranaya’…”
Bindu did not want to disagree with that. |
