Daily NEWS Srilanka

The continuous break-rest fast which was launched for the first time in the history of this parliament by a group of MPs on behalf of Mahinda last Monday went on for a span of 23 hours throughout the night. You may have noticed the mobile phone photos clicked showing how MPs had lied down on the red carpet during this protest, in various postures. However, photos which were not so reported or were decided upon not to be publicized as well as many saucy anecdotes connected to this sleepless night remain inconspicuous. A survey conducted on information secured from MPs who were there that day about it is published below:

Though the parliament was postponed that day at 10.30 a.m. MPs who were engaged in the fast did not make it a point to deter their fast. After getting down water bottles to the House, then had  proceeded to go to the restaurant for parliament MPs to have their lunch one or two at a time according to shift procedures. Slowly dusk began to fall when a severe downpour invaded the land where the parliamentary complex stood and it was in the afternoon hours. As over 80 MPs of the Opposition Party decided to remain at a stretch in the House itself, on instructions of the Speaker Mr. Chamal Rajapaksa, the mace-bearer Mr. Anil Samarasekera together with the staff on duty took steps to remain back in parliament. As a consequence, some employees of all sections of parliament were compelled to stay the night over till morning while the parliament police too were instructed to operate a special security programme.

Towards about 7 in the evening on 20th, a group left for home according to the shift procedure while another group was still continuing with the fast inside the House.Those who went home had taken a wash and some of them turned up dressed in normal clothes after having had their dinner. Since the MPs who continuously engaged in the fast in the House had brought clothing to the parliament itself; it spared them of such a problem.

MPs who were within the parliament House had their dinner from the parliament MP's restaurant. One or two went and had their meals according to the shift procedure when another crowd was already in the House. The mace-bearer including other members of the parliament staff had even by that time devoted special attention regarding all facilities including food and drink required by the MPs. The dinner of the MPs comprising fried rice, chicken devil, noodles, string hoppers, fish, bread, pol sambol were all prepared and finished. All preparations were made for MPs who had not had their dinner to secure their dinner by going to the verandah. Already by 9.00 in the night a crowd of almost 90 MPs had come to the House of the parliament and most of them had arrived in casual clothing. It was a speciality to observe that both male and female MPs who came to parliament on other days attired in the national dress, European dress and the sari coming on this occasion dressed in a casual manner.

A large number of MPs including Rohitha Abeyagoonawardena, T.B. Ekanayaka, Kumara Welgama, Wimal Weravansha, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Johnston Fernando, and C.B. Ratnayaka had all come dressed in casual style in sarong and t-shirts. While Minister C.B. Ratnayaka was seen attired with a blue-coloured toga it made many individuals inquire about it. MPs Namal Rajapaksa, Uditha Lokubandara had come wearing t-shirts. MP Upeksha Swarnamali came dressed in a pair of long slacks and t-shirt. Queen of the cinema Mrs. Malini Fonseka too was dressed in a pair of long slacks and t-shirt. Kamala Ranatunga, MPs Mrs. Pavithra Wanniaarachchi and Sumedha G. Jayasena were dressed in sari.

Groups were noticed engaged in a dialogue here and there inside the House talking about various times in the past and by the time it was close upon 11.00 in the night, the number of MPs within the House gradually started increasing to over 110. It was a special feature to observe that Messrs. Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Jagath Pushpakumara and Mahinda Yapa Abeyawardena who were Ministers of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party of the present regime staying back inside the parliament House well until midnight.

The General Secretary of the United Party Freedom Alliance Mr. Susil Premjayanth and Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party came there and did not forget to inquire about how the MPs engaged in the fast were getting along. Around 10.00 in the night,employees of the parliament came to the House and treated the MPs involved in the fast with milk coffee and various types of snacks. When one group was talking about interesting incidents of the past, those passing through their middle age began talking about their schooldays, the school love affairs and broken love. At this point some of them had begun to break into loud laughter which echoed throughout the House. After that, it was Mr. Rohitha Abeygoonawardena who became the 'Speaker' and began to order silence saying, "Order please .... order please!" Deputy Speaker Mr. Chandima Weerakkody was seen watching all this with a smile on his face. MPs Rohitha Abeyagunawardena, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Wimal Weeravansha, Dallas Alahapperuma, C.B. Ratnayaka and and T.B. Ekanayaka and some others began singing by starting with the 'Hela jathika abhimane' song. Later they sang several nationalistic songs and subsequently switched on to sing songs of a number of reputed singers such as H.R. Jothipala, Gunadasa Kapuge and Karunaratna Divulgane. It was Rohitha Abeagunawardena who maintained this as a musical show of the evening by directing the proceedings.

As time passed on for a while, what became an item of interest for everybody was the item of imitating each politician of how they spoke. MP Rohitha Abeyagunawardena spoke by imitating Minister Reginold while MPs Wimal Weeravansha and Mahindananda Aluthgamage imitated Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasingha. Listening to the speech made by these two MPs walking up to the seat where the prime minister was, really made most of their listeners burst out with uncontrollable laughter.

In the meantime, an MP had brought a pack of cards to the House. A large group rocked round the spot where Janaka Wakkumbura, Ranjith Soysa, Shehan Semasingha, Upeksha Swarnamali and some others were engaged in playing cards by providing them advice. It was MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage who indulged in a dance pointing at Mrs. Malini Fonseka who was there, by singing the song, "Oh Thushara .... oh Thushara" which H.R. Jothipala happened to sing in the film Thushara. It was a big response that came in this connection from other MPs on behalf of the rendering this song. MPs T.B. Ekanayaka and Tissa Karaliyedda were spotted engaged in peaceful meditation too.

Early morning at about 1 o'clock they were once more treated to a serving of milk coffee and an hour or so later by about 2.30 it was found that everyone had gone to sleep. However, some of them awoke from time to time as it was not their familiar abode. Most of those inside the House laid themselves on the red carpet there while some of the others made it a point to lie down on the flight of steps near the door and some slept on the steps close to the Speaker's chair, forgetting the comfort at home for a moment. It was the cushions of seats allocated for the MPs that were made use of for resting their heads in the case of most of them. It was the parliament employees who supplied sheets to cover themselves up. Before going to sleep a programme where former leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Mr. Somawansa Amerasingha was viewed from the television available in the House and it was Mr. Wimal Weeravansha who paid special attention to it.

The duty of accepting signatures for the purpose of ousting the director-general of the Bribery Commission had been handed over to MP Ranjith Soysa. By the time that MP slept, 116 signatures had been secured and he had taken so much precautions to safeguard it which could be noted by the fact that MP Ranjith Soysa slept by keeping the file cover containing those signatures on his head.

It was MP Dr. Rohana Pushpakumara who had been snoring most during sleep. Many of those who were awakened by the sound of his snoring mentioned that a saw mill from Maligawatta had been brought into the House and fixed there.Some MPs who were dressed in pairs of shorts asked for two coverlets each from the parliament employees because of the  intense cold atmosphere within the parliament.

Those who awoke  from their sleep by about 5.30 in the morning hurried up and went back to their homes to perform their ablutions and after changing the dress have had their breakfast and returned to parliament by 8.00 in the morning while the other participants attended to their morning routine and after changing their dress, took their breakfast at the parliament restaurant and managed to arrive at the House.

Subsequent to the decision announced by the Speaker yesterday (21) at 9.30 in the morning, the continuous fast which the MPs adhered to was given up; thus creating a new record to be added to the history of the Sri Lankan Parliament.