---

Who will be the main Prime Ministerial candidate at the general election round the corner?

This is the question that has become the main point in political circles these days.

This question has become the main topic for animated discussion among the Diyawanna members as well whenever they meet in the canteen or in the council lobby.

The topic figured at a powwow attended by a group of stalwarts of the former regime the other day.

Two Bandas from Nuwara Eliya, former deputy Alagiya from Gampaha, Piyankara from Puttalam, the ex-Green member from Mahiyangana and the two Mahindas were among the attendees.

Addressing the group, the senior Banda, incidentally the elder sibling of a political family hailing from the hill country said that there were several qualifications that an aspirant to the Prime Ministership should possess in our country.

“What are the qualifications a Prime Ministerial hopeful should possess?” the others asked the senior politico. Pat came his reply.

“Ok. I’ll enumerate them: the first qualification is that the aspirant should be past 80 years of age. The second, his or her  vision should be poor and if he or she  suffers from dementia it would an added qualification and the third carries more weight than the first and the second qualifications: he or she  should move about on a wheel chair. Only a person with such qualifications can cherish the hope of becoming the Prime Minister in our country.”
All greeted his reply with guffaws.