Diplomacy at no cost

This onetime political strongman was recently taking a ride behind a pilot security escort as usual along a road in the Matale district. Suddenly on seeing a Green party Diyawanna member standing in front of his roadside residence, he asked the driver to stop the vehicle.

The onetime strongman, the shrewd politician he is, had taken advantage of this accidental encounter with the Diyawanna member hailing from a well-known political family in the area to have a cordial chat with him. “It’s a pity that they have failed to offer you a Ministerial portfolio,” the strongman observed.  He added: “Didn’t they promise to offer a portfolio to the member who would win both his seat and the district for the party?  They have badly let you down!”       

The onetime strongman had also made it a point to drop in at the Diyawanna member’s parental home for a chat with the latter’s mother as well before resuming his journey.