The forecast was that Tuesday would certainly be volatile. The UNF government, already earning brickbats about its conduct of elections despite holistic pledges to do quite the reverse during opposition days, perhaps thought it best to allow the opposition to hanker about the sound system than election violence.

To many, it seemed like a scene from the movie " Parliament Jokes", and a bad joke at that. The day's proceedings began with Wimal Weerawansa standing up in protest to make an urgent statement which was shouted down by parliamentary affairs minister A.H.M. Azwer and chief whip Mahinda Samarasinghe. As the Speaker strove to calm the House, the voices rose in rebellion - and up sprang posters.

With government members attempting to play down the issue, opposition members, led by youthful JVP voices shouted out," Is this Ranil's democracy?", "Cancel the fraudulent election" and "We condemn UNP's illegal polls".

With both sides trading insults liberally amidst the din and the mikes constantly failing, Prof. G.L. Peiris who was poised to present amendments to the BOI act had to stand and wait patiently. The shouting increased with Sunil Handunnetti and Bimal Ratnayake along with Mangala Samaraweera chorusing slogans. Then the mikes failed again, culminating in suspension of the House.

Making a late arrival, lands minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne saw the House in disarray and the MPs still holding their brilliant yellow, black and red posters: " The SLFP is once more reduced to holding up JVP posters," he cracked earning the wrathful response from opposition benches.

With sound tests being carried out by technical staff, angry legislators gathered round parliamentary affairs minister Azwer to question why the system had failed. Some legislators began to test their skills in compering, humming and even singing, Wimal Weerawansa quipped that the House was more like a Sangeetha Sandharshanaya.
When the house resumed, it was chaos again with Jeyaraj Fernandopulle demanding that Wimal Weerawansa be allowed to make his statement with the Speaker attempting to quote Standing Orders to the House that debarred such a statement.

The furore coupled with sound system failure anew, led to the second 'break' which had its many light moments. With technicians entering the Parliament Well to check the sound equipment and eager beaver legislators too joining the process, the mischievous Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azwer crossed the isle to sit in the opposition and began testing the mikes with an impromptu speech.

" This system, purchased during the JVP-PA 'parivase' is faulty. These are the expensive mistakes of the PA-JVP alliance that cost the state Rs. 55 million ," he said amidst laughter, and quietly slipped out of the Well before the House resumed.
The Speaker's apology about the malfunctioning system was followed by yet another demand to allow Weerawansa's statement. The "ballas' and the 'booruwa' were also not spared while the four enactments, hurriedly agreed upon at party leaders' meeting during the break, were passed.

" Why take a verbal vote with such a hi-tech system," thundered the opposition, earning wrathful comments from the government that the PA should hold itself responsible for the inferior quality replacements.

" If you wish to continue sessions, ensure that the mikes work. This is an insult to Parliament," thundered Dinesh Gunawardana. He said that with earphones and mikes and the interpretations not being available, there was no point in continuing to sit.
It was Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who finally suggested that the House be adjourned for a few days until the system was completely restored. This was accepted by the entire House that was too tired to continue to shout above the din.

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