Episode two of the Development Lotteries Board drama was staged again in Parliament and the main actors were PA firebrand Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Leader of the House W. J. M. Lokubandara.

The man in charge of the Development Lotteries Board Milinda Moragoda was the silent spectator wondering who would be the lucky winner.

The draw was so tense with Jeyaraj Fernandopulle arguing the right of Minister Moragoda to answer the oral question claiming that the DLB now comes under the President asked: "Sir is he answering the question on behalf of the President,"

The PA firebrand Fernandopulle said that according to his knowledge President Chandrika Kumaratunga had taken the DLB under her purview. "How can we accept the reply of Minister Moragoda unless he tells this House that he is replying on behalf of the President"?

The Leader of the House W. J. M Lokubandara rose to point out that Fernandopulle was intervening into a question which had been listed to be asked by PA IMP Athula Nimalasiri Jayasinghe.

The Minister of Justice and a lawyer by profession Lokubandara changed the scenario to challenge Fernandopulle as to what right he had to question the authority of his Party Leader and President of the country Chandrika Kumaratunga. "All ministers have taken their oaths before the President and all subjects had been approved by her and now Fernandopulle has chosen to challenge her authority," Lokubandara pointed out.

Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Leader now a People's Alliance MP, Dinesh Gunawardena came to the rescue of Fernandopulle to prolong the issue by saying that the minister was trying to answer a matter coming under the President without her permission.

At this point Fernandopulle told the Speaker that it was a pleasure to see Moragoda in Parliament when he is on vacation in Sri Lanka as Moragoda appeared to him as a top notch employed abroad.

"Sir, for me its a pleasure to see his face and hear his moving voice when he comes here on vacation to make his contribution," Fernandopulle quipped.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azwer joined the fray in his usual style in defense of Minister Moragoda to say that all subjects assigned to Ministers had been gazetted after they took oaths before the President.

He challenged Fernandopulle to peruse the gazette notification which stated that the DLB had been taken over by the President. And he took the position that the subject was still under Minister Moragoda.

As arguments from both sides ended there Speaker Joseph Michael Perera explained to the House that he had not received any official communication of any change in subjects assigned to Minister Milinda Moragoda.

The Speaker noted that according to the gazette notification the DLB came under the purview of Minister Moragoda and therefore the Minister had the right to answer the question.

Following this ruling a smiling Minister Moragoda took the floor to say, "Sir, I table the answer since the member who asked the question is not present in the House."