`“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “what is all this fuss about the Greens?”
“Why, Bindu,” Bindu’s father Percy said, “who is making a fuss now?”
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “aren’t they fighting with each other once again?”
“So, what is new?” Percy wanted to know.
“That is nothing new among the Greens for the past few years…” Bindu agreed.
“Who is fighting with whom now?” Percy inquired.
“That, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “is a bit difficult to understand…”
“Why is that?” Percy wondered.
“Now,” Bindu explained, “there are three people in the contest…”
“Why do you say that?” Percy was curious.
“Why thaaththa, first there is the Leader; then there is the Challenger and finally there is the Pretender…” Bindu said.
“But didn’t they appoint the leader only a few months ago after a lot of fighting?” Percy recalled.
“Yes, they did,” Bindu agreed, “but that was after a very public fight between the Leader and the Challenger…”
“How did the Leader survive that fight?” Percy queried.
“That was very straightforward,” Bindu remembered, “the Leader said he was prepared for a contest with the Challenger but the Challenger backed out, because he did not have enough support…”
“And didn’t they all then promise they would work together as one party and try and oppose the Blues?” Percy asked.
“Yes, they did,” Bindu agreed, “but then the Leader started to get rid of all those who he thought were the Challenger’s supporters…”
“What happened then?” Percy wanted to know.
“That is why the Challenger wants to oust the Leader once more…” Bindu said.
“So,” Percy asked, “is the Challenger prepared to contest the Leader now?”
“Funnily enough, he’s not…” Bindu observed.
“How does he plan to oust the leader, then?” Percy wondered.
“He has passed the buck to the Pretender…” Bindu pointed out.
“How has he done that?” Percy asked.
“He has asked the Pretender whether he would like to be the new leader…” Bindu recalled.
“So, has the Pretender agreed?” Percy inquired.
“Well, yes and no…” Bindu said.
“What do you mean by that?” Percy was puzzled.
“Well,” Bindu said, “the Pretender has said he is willing to do whatever is necessary to unite the party and lead it to victory if that is what the majority in the party wants…”
“But he hasn’t exactly said he will contest the leader?” Percy wanted to know.
“No, he hasn’t,” Bindu conceded, “but the Challenger is obviously hoping he will do that…”
“What will happen now?” Percy asked.
“I think the Greens will go through the familiar cycle of holding press conferences blaming each other and then the different factions will run different campaigns for elections until of course they lose the elections…” Bindu said.
“And haven’t they announced yet another round of elections?” Percy remembered.
“Yes, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “Mahinda maama makes sure that the elections are held every now and then so that whenever the Greens lose, they begin blaming the Leader and start their in-fighting all over again and try to oust him…”
“We will have to wait and see whether that happens again…” Percy suggested.
“Who do you think should really lead the Greens, thaaththa?” Bindu wanted to know.
“I am not so sure about that,” Percy said, “the Leader has the experience and he has always been loyal to the Greens and even to the father of the Challenger when he was being impeached some years ago…” Percy recalled.
“But of course,” Bindu pointed out, “he has also been responsible for losing election after election and that is what everyone is holding against him now…”
“What about the Challenger’s suitability to lead the Greens, then?” Bindu asked.
“He seems to be popular among the people and his father’s reputation as a man who gets things done seems to have helped him a lot…” Percy declared.
“But he also seems to be taking decisions in a hurry, like when he challenged the leader a few months ago, so we cannot be sure he will be an excellent leader for the Greens…” Bindu said.
“Yes,” Percy agreed, “his recent actions have led many people to have their doubts about him …”
“Then thaaththa,” Bindu asked, “can we say the Pretender is probably the best person to take over the Greens at this stage?”
“Well,” Percy said, “he betrayed the party once by joining Mahinda maama…”
“So, does that disqualify him from becoming the leader now?” Bindu wondered.
“Well,” Percy proposed, “there is one task he could do to prove he is capable of taking up the challenge of being the leader…”
“And what task is that?” Bindu asked.
“If he can begin the job at home and get his son-in-law to re-join the Greens, that will surely show that he can turn the tide…”
Bindu didn’t disagree.
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