“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedara asked, “how much is two thirds of two hundred and twenty five?”
“That would be a hundred and fifty,” Bindu’s father Percy answered, “but why do you ask?”
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu explained, “everyone is talking about the two-thirds majority now…”
“That is true,” Percy agreed, “and very few people are talking about any other election issues…”
“But why do they need a two-thirds majority, thaaththa?” Bindu wanted to know.
“Well, Bindu,” Percy said, “you need a two-thirds majority in Parliament to amend the Constitution…”
“And why do they need to amend the Constitution, thaaththa?” Bindu persisted.
“Why, Bindu,” Percy recalled, “everyone seems to hate this Constitution which is why they began calling it the ‘bahubootha viyavasthaawa’…”
“But even though everyone calls it the ‘bahubootha viyavasthaawa’,” Bindu argued, “no one has really wanted to change it…”
“How can you say that, Bindu?” Percy asked.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu recalled, “even though it was Satellite who called it the ‘bahubootha viyavasthaawa’ in the first instance she wanted to enjoy one more year of it as the head of state…”
“But, Bindu,” Percy countered, “remember, she did bring in some proposals to abolish the office she held but then Uncle Ranil didn’t support her…”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu recalled, “that was towards the end of her second term and people said that the change she was proposing was only for her to return to power in a different capacity…”
“I suppose one could say that,” Percy conceded.
“So,” Bindu inquired, “why do they want to change the Constitution now, thaaththa?”
“Well,” Percy said, “Mahinda maama says that it would make it easier for him to govern if he changed the Constitution after obtaining a two-thirds majority…”
“But I thought it is already very easy for him to govern, thaaththa…” Bindu was puzzled.
“Why is that?” Percy wanted to know.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu argued, “surely, there is virtually nothing that he cannot do, except maybe turn a man into a woman as JR seeya said a long time ago…”
“And what makes you say that?” Percy demanded.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “now he has won the war, he has won the provincial council elections, he has won his own election, and after this election he will have someone he could call his own in virtually every province…”
“I suppose that is true,” Percy said, “but that is still a long way to go from being able to do anything and everything he wants to do…”
“Then, thaaththa,” Bindu continued, “he has divided the Greens, he has divided the Reds, he has divided the Tigers and he has even divided those who broke away from the Tigers…”
“I suppose you could say that too…” Percy agreed.
“Then,” Bindu said, “he has succeeded in holding the government together despite giving all the top jobs to people who crossed over from other parties while ignoring his own party members…”
“I am not too sure his party members are happy about that…” Percy observed.
“And they will be unhappier when some of them lose their seats at this election because of people who crossed over from other parties…” Bindu said, “but I am sure he will deal with that too…”
“But, Bindu, it was difficult to do all this because he had only a very slim majority in Parliament and that is probably why he wants a two-thirds majority now…” Percy suggested, “remember, they couldn’t even get their nominee elected as Speaker at one time…”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu pointed out, “the nominee that was selected by the opposition was better than their own nominee because Mahinda maama won him over also by offering an oppurtunity to his son…”
“That of course is true,” Percy conceded, “although it may be that Mahinda maama now wants to put a stop to rewarding people with ministries and other positions just to get their support, and that may be why he wants to have a two-thirds majority in order to be able to take firm decisions…”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu said, “I can think of only one issue he hasn’t been able to deal with, even with all the powers at his disposal…”
“And what issue is that?” Percy wanted to know. “Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “he hasn’t been able to remove Uncle Ranil as the Leader of the Opposition or the Leader of the Greens…”
“Come to think of it,” Percy suggested, “I have a feeling that he is seeking a two-thirds majority to keep Uncle Ranil as the Leader of the Opposition for a long, long time to come…”
Bindu knew he couldn’t disagree with that. |
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