Scene: The infamous Gossip Island Pub, where the beer flows as freely as political speculation. A group of die-hard NPP supporters are deep in conversation, their voices rising above the clatter of glasses and the occasional burst of drunken laughter from the corner. At the center of the discussion is Minister Bimal Ratnayake’s fiery parliamentary speech, his bold claim that the Opposition wouldn’t return to power for at least a decade, and the question that lingers in every political conversation these days—Is the NPP soaring, or setting itself up for a spectacular crash?

Cast of Characters:
Berty the Stalwart – The NPP’s self-proclaimed prophet. Believes they will rule forever.
Loku Aiya the Realist – Remembers the past, sees the warning signs. Drinks arrack, not Kool-Aid.
AKD Fanboy – Would tattoo Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s face on his chest if his wife allowed it.
The Deputy Minister – The “strongman” in the group, though more in words than in endurance.
The Bartender – Has heard it all, seen it all, and pours drinks accordingly.

Berty: (raising his beer) Ten years, boys! That’s what Minister Bimal Ratnayake said. Ten glorious years of the NPP! The Opposition is finished!

Loku Aiya: (leaning back, unimpressed) Ah yes, I believe Gotabaya Rajapaksa also thought he had a decade. Then one fine day, he was running down Marine Drive in a sarong, looking for a plane ticket.

Deputy Minister: (smirking) Oh, we are not running anywhere. We are not in the mood to leave!

Bartender: (chuckling while pouring a drink) That’s what every government says—until they’re chased down Galle Face by angry uncles with slippers in their hands.

AKD Fanboy: (waving a finger) But comrades, we must be strong! Strongmen rule the world! Napoleon! Lenin! My uncle Somapala, who ran our cooperative society with an iron fist!

Loku Aiya: And what happened to all of them? One was exiled, one was embalmed, and your uncle got voted out because he banned arrack on Sundays.

Berty: Confidence is key! We must boost morale! If we start doubting, we lose before the fight begins!

Loku Aiya: Morale is good. But overconfidence? That’s how you end up making speeches from an undisclosed bunker.

Loku Aiya: Look, I’m not saying the NPP will fall tomorrow. They won big, and that matters. But history teaches us one thing—complacency is a killer. Just look at what’s happening now.

AKD Fanboy: (defensive) What do you mean? The budget passed with a two-thirds majority! The Opposition is in disarray!

Loku Aiya: And yet, they’ve started winning cooperative societies. They’re getting traction. And don’t forget—just two years ago, the NPP itself was the underdog. People said we had no chance, but the public turned on the government faster than a tuk-tuk meter in rush hour.

Bartender: (nodding) And social media doesn’t forget.

Berty: (rolling his eyes) Ah, social media, social media—every election someone says it’s the game changer.

Bartender: Maybe not on its own, but tell that to your ministers. Videos of their old speeches are circulating like pirated DVDs. Just today, I saw Sunil Handunnetti, back when he was in the Opposition, saying NPP MPs wouldn’t take government housing or vehicles. He even told the interviewer to replay the video if they broke that promise. Well, guess what? They’re all in Madiwela now, with state-funded vehicles. And the video? It’s trending.

Loku Aiya: And then there’s Nilanthi Kottahatchchi’s old speech about crime. People are sharing it, thinking she’s criticizing the current government, when she was actually talking about the last one!

AKD Fanboy: (waving dismissively) It’s all propaganda! Lies spread by the Opposition!

Loku Aiya: Maybe some of it. But some of it is just plain truth biting us back. Remember how we used to call out past governments for cozying up to the IMF? Now we’re working with them. Remember how AKD used to scold leaders for visiting religious places with cameras? Now he’s doing the same thing.

Deputy Minister: (grumbling) The people will understand! They know governing is different from being in the Opposition!

Loku Aiya: Maybe. Or maybe they’ll just see it as hypocrisy. And trust me, once the public starts feeling betrayed, no speech, no rhetoric, no ‘strongman mindset’ can save you. The Rajapaksas learned that the hard way.

(A moment of silence. Even Berty looks a little unsure now.)

Bartender: (pouring another drink) The thing is, mighty governments don’t fall because of the Opposition. They fall because they get arrogant, make blunders, and underestimate the people.

Loku Aiya: Exactly. The UNP had just 17 seats in 1970. By 1977, they were back with a two-thirds majority. Seven years. That’s all it took.

Deputy Minister: (grinning nervously) So, what you’re saying is… we need to be careful?

Loku Aiya: Careful, yes. And maybe a little less cocky.

(The group falls into thoughtful silence, except for Berty, who raises his glass for a final toast.)

Berty: Well, whatever happens, at least we can drink to the fact that this time, we’re the ones in power.

Bartender: (smirking) Let’s just hope you don’t end up drinking in exile.

(The pub erupts into laughter, but behind the jokes, the message lingers. Politics is like Snakes and Ladders—one minute you’re soaring, the next, you’re sliding back down. Only time will tell if the NPP can hold onto its ladder… or if a snake is waiting just around the corner.)