There was political drama, some downright weird moments and general dilemma. We made a list. 

Yet another year has reached its finale and we decided to compile a few moments from 2016 which we thought were worth sharing. 

Many of them are inspired by the local political scene where hilarious moments of mud-slinging and tongue-slips are seen in broad daylight. Others are of a few embarrassing/weird moments that us Sri Lankans had to go through. 

Of Enrique and Bra Throwing 

Enrique’s Sex and Love Tour became a hit last year but it became an even bigger hit when President Sirisena elaborated certain incidents which took place at the show. Out of these incidents he pointed out that the ‘bra throwing’ episode was one of the worst he has ever seen. Attending a function President Sirisena said, "meygaanulamai brazier eka galawalahitang visikaraladunna me gaayakayata" (these girls threw their brassiere at this singer). He further said that the organisers should be ‘whipped with toxic stingray tails’ (maduwaligay). 

Coconut Shells and Useless Supporters 

At a press conference held earlier this year former Minister Mervyn Silva said that he is not a medical doctor but he has a doctorate because he knows about the history, Buddhism and the society of this country. 

“I’m a person who cannot be hidden under a coconut shell,” he said after speaking about being betrayed by those in the former regime. 

At another function he claimed that he’s the rightful convener of the Joint Opposition and everyone else has been useless supporters. 

As an attack on former Minister Udaya Gammanpila, Dr. Mervyn Silva referred to him as ‘duwanapila’/ ‘paninapila’ and later referred to him as a ‘zombie’. (no comments) 

Think Before You Speak? 

At a press conference held just after the ‘Paada Yathra’ organised by the former President and his supporters, MP Geetha Kumarasinghe said, “over 20 million people walked from Colombo to Kandy during the Paada Yaathra.” 

(Sri Lanka has approximately 20.48 million people (as of 2013 statistics) and they walked from Kandy to Colombo). 

Toddy Cats in Parliament 

At a parliament session held in November this year, former Minister Keheliya Rambukwelle requested the Speaker to get rid of ‘palm civets’ (kalawaddo) in the opposition during a debate. (Oops!) 

Naps Galore 

Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala De Silva was spotted napping during several important functions that took place in the political scene this year. Some of these included the Budget 2017 and the meeting of SLFP executive bodies to abolish the 19th amendment which took place earlier this year at the Viharamaha Devi Park. 

(We have to note however that several sources later revealed that he was attacked during the period of the ethnic conflict. As a result the injuries caused to his head and continuous medication prompts his unusual sleeping patterns) 

Sri Lanka Goes International 

A surprising leak of offshore companies and the people behind them collectively known as the Panama Papers were released earlier this year including a list of Sri Lankans. The Panama Papers consisted of 11.5m files from the database of the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm, Mossack Fonseca. The records were obtained from an anonymous source by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Although it was showcased as an international crime, nothing was said or done following the release of the Sri Lankan names. 

(We know that many international presidents and icons resigned from their seats but what about the Sri Lankans?) 

Tupac Inspires Prayer in Sri Lanka 

Imagine singing Christmas carols with lyrics like "revenge is like the sweetest joy, next to getting p***y."? Yes that surely seems to be quite an odd case but that's exactly what churchgoers in Sri Lanka saw in booklets at a carol service on December 11, 2016. What they expected was the words to the Hail Mary, a common Catholic prayer; instead they got lyrics to rap legend Tupac Shakur's ‘Hail Mary’. 

(A very very rare mistake but then Lanka went international once again. Yipeeey!) 

Rs.25,000 Minimum Fine, Public Transport Strike and a Hazy Decision 

The Finance Ministry came to a decision to impose a minimum fine of Rs. 25,000 for seven traffic violations. In view of this decision, several strikes were organised island wide much to the disappointment of the commuters. The intensity of the strikes was largely felt by the government and in order to call off the strikes, the President stated that a final decision had not been reached. 

Mourning Or No Mourning - That Is The Question 

The government declared December 30 and then December 31 as a national day of mourning as a mark of respect for the late premier who passed away this month at a private hospital in Colombo. Later, the Home Affairs Ministry again confirmed that the government will not declare December 30 as a national day of mourning for former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake. (Not even the dead gets to RIP) 

Have we left anything out? Comment below and let us know.