The Fifth Column

2nd May 1999

Verdict that tends to divide the Greens

"Thaaththa", Bindu Udagedera asked, "what is happening to Wijeyapala" "Well", said Percy Udagedera, Bindu's father, " the highest court in the land has said that he has done no wrong"

"But what will happen to him now?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Why, he has been suspended from the Party, wasn't he?"

"I suppose he will have to be re-instated" Percy agreed.

"And somebody says they should offer him an apology"

"Ah," Percy observed, "that is very unlikely"

"But thaaththa, don't you think that the Green Leader acted rather hastily?"

"You could say so" Percy conceded.

"And now, he will have to take Wijeyapala back and give him his due place"

"And, history repeats itself" Percy said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, remember when JR removed the civic rights of the Blue Lady"

"What happened then?"

"Why, that neatly divided the Blues into two and led to a lot of problems from which they took 17 years to recover"

"But thaaththa," Bindu pointed out, "the Blues later passed a resolution in Parliament cancelling the removal of civic rights"

"Yes", Percy recalled, "and the Green Leader even allowed Anura to support that resolution"

"That is what the Greens should ask for now" Bindu said.

"What is that?"

"They should call for a vote in Parliament to cancel the findings of the Commission and

"what is the use of all these commissions anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why thaaththa, there were so many commissions appointed recently to look into many incidents in the past at much public expense"

"What's wrong with that?"

"And now the Supreme Court is telling us that the findings of these commissions are not quite correct"

"We all make mistakes, Bindu" Percy defended.

"But of course, at the end of it all, Satellite is the winner"

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, thaaththa, the commission was appointed not to acquit Wijeyapala but to find whether he had done anything wrong and prove that the Greens were corrupt during their time"

"That didn't happen quite the expected way but Satellite must still be happy"

"Why?"

"By trying to get rid of Wijeyapala before a final decision on him was given, the Greens have turned what would have been a great victory for the Greens into a party dispute"

"Yes", Percy said "and Satellite needs no more help from her friends"

"Why do you say that?"

"Why Bindu, with enemies like this, who needs friends?" Percy asked.

Bindu didn't disagree.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

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