The Fifth Column

18th October 1998

Art of politics, medicine

Thursday - Returned from Cambridge, dropping Yaso there for medical studies. I told her I wondered whether she had chosen the correct profession, and she said it was rather similar to politics. I asked her why, she said that and she says that in both politics and medicine as they are practised in this country, you are there to solve the problems of people but what you really do is make money while explaining to the people why their problems cannot be solved.

Friday - Everybody's talking about those picture of the UNP fund-raiser in Los Angeles. I guess he didn't bargain for such publicity over here. Serves him right anyway, after those allegations all of them made against Mangala..

Saturday - It seems Srimani is in trouble again, this time in her own party. My spies say she was no push-over and in fact pushed over someone who tried to force his way into a meeting.

Anyway, it now seems I got rid of her in good time, or else she could have given S.B. or Jeyaraj a black eye or two..

Sunday- SB wants me to give away land to the cricketers who won the World Cup and the athletes who won medals at the Commonwealth Games. I asked him why the girl who came fourth at the Commonwealth Games was given an award, while Susie who did better in Greece was ignored. SB did blush but I didn't inquire anymore.

After all, without Susie, we might lose a medal at the next Olympics but without SB I might lose the next election..

Monday - The Mahanama case ( no, not Roshan, the other one) is today and I heard Sarath is a worried man. I must tell Bala to ask Sarath not to get worried over this.

Tuesday - It seems a little odd, but I had to give away medals to soldiers disabled in the war. I thought it was odd because the highest award had to be given to Anu for bravery, so soon after supervising the fall of Kilinochchi.

Gosh, I leave the country for just a couple of weeks and this is what happens..

Wednesday- Akka has been to a 'Saaththara Kaaraya' and come back with the theory that if we have election in early 1999, we will win.

She even says that it could pave the way for Mallo to return to the No.2 slot. I was not very enthusiastic but Amma, as usual, believes in any mumbo-jumbo nonsense uttered by these 'Saaththara Kaarayas'. Anyway, why should I give away two years of my term of office, just because of some fancy fortune teller?

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

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