Gamata
Kiri and Colombata Kekiri from now on
"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "what
happens to the Colombo Municipal Council now?"
"Well, the Greens claim they have won the election…"
Bindu's father Percy said.
"The Greens never contested the election because they were
disqualified…" Bindu argued.
"But the independent group they backed won the poll…"
Percy pointed out.
"But thaaththa," Bindu said, "it is more a case of
the Blues losing rather than the Greens winning…"
"Why do you say that?" Percy wanted to know.
"Why, thaaththa, if the government cannot win against an unheard
of independent group even with all the privileges of state power
at its disposal, there must be something wrong somewhere…"
Bindu suggested.
"It might be the threat of war starting all over again …"
Percy proposed.
"Or the cost of living with almost everything going up in price…"
Bindu observed.
"Or the candidates…" Percy said.
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu queried.
"Why, Bindu, the Blue candidate was none other then Vasu, wasn't
he?"
"What's wrong with that?" Bindu asked, "he was running
against some unknown from an independent group…"
"But it did look a bit unusual for Vasu to be singing the praises
of Mahinda Chinthanaya…" Percy said.
"Why is that?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Why, here is this sahodaraya we are so used to seeing at picket
lines and protests, leading workers in their various struggles…"
Percy recalled.
"But what is wrong with him running for Mayor?" Bindu
asked.
"And suddenly we find him singing the praises of the President
and appearing on posh television commercials as if he were selling
a brand of sausages or milk powder…" Percy pointed out.
"But thaaththa," Bindu said, "they had to put forward
someone who had some credibility…"
"That's true," Percy conceded, "but I think Vasu
may have lost all credibility he had by running for this election…"
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu demanded.
"Well," Percy said, "he looked so out of sorts, pretending
he was fighting for the downtrodden when he was really only trying
to win one for the President…"
"But what about Sirisena Cooray?" Bindu asked, "he
didn't have much credibility either, going about asking people to
vote for someone else's symbol and someone else's number…"
"But the people of Colombo appear to have preferred Cooray
going about in independent clothing rather than Vasu going about
in the Chinthanaya clothing…"
"And what will happen now, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"I think the real fun will start only now…" Percy
said.
"Why do you say that?" Bindu was curious.
"Why, Bindu, after these so-called independents take their
oaths, some of them will resign and they will nominate Greens instead…"
Percy said.
"And what will happen then?" Bindu queried.
"And then everyone will rush off to Hulftsdorp, arguing whether
the Independents are entitled to do that…"
"Who will do that?" Bindu asked.
"Oh, I am sure there will be plenty of Blues who would want
to take the matter to courts," Percy said, "and even our
supposedly independent Commissioner of Elections might join the
fun…"
"But thaaththa, the peoples' choice is quite clear, isn't it?"
Bindu asked.
"And what choice is that?" Percy queried.
"That they would rather not have the Blues running the city,
no matter what…" Bindu observed.
"Ah, but I don't think Mahinda maama will se it that way…"
"But thaaththa," Bindu persisted, "won't Colombo
be neglected while they keep fighting about this issue…"
"Yes," Percy said, "it might be 'Gamata kiri Colombata
kekiri' from now on…"
Bindu didn't want to dispute that.
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