Edmund Samarakkody

Edmund Peter Samarakkody (19 April 1912 – 4 January 1992) was a Ceylonese lawyer, trade unionist, politician and Member of Parliament.

Early life and family Samarakkody was born on 19 April 1912, the fifth of seven children to Charles Peter Augustus de Fonseka Tillekeratne Samarakkody, Muhandiram of the Governor Gate and planter; and Anne Catharine née Tillekeratne, daughter of Nicholas Tillekeratne, Mudaliyar of Matara. He was educated at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia. After school he joined the Ceylon Law College, qualifying as a proctor. In 1933 Indian workers at the Wellawatte Spinning and Weaving Mills went on strike and were supported by the CSYL.

When World War II broke out in September 1939 the LSSP opposed the "second imperialist war". Goonewardene evaded arrest and went into hiding. In 1948 the BLPI merged with the Congress Socialist Party to create the Socialist Party. He was re-elected at the 1956 parliamentary election. He stood as the LSSP candidate in Kesbewa at the March 1960 parliamentary election but failed to get re-elected. He stood as the LSSP candidate in Bulathsinhala at the July 1960 parliamentary election. He won the election and re-entered Parliament.

Whilst Ceylon's main political parties, the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), together with the VLSSP, supported the Sinhala Only Act, the leftists, led by the LSSP, opposed the act. LSSP members who opposed the move (Meryl Fernando, Karalasingham, Samarakkody, Bala Tampoe etc.) left the LSSP and formed the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (Revolutionary) (LSSP(R)) with Samarakkody as its secretary. Samarakkody fell out with LSSP(R) leader Tampoe and in 1968 left the party, together with Fernando, and founded the Revolutionary Sama Samaja Party (renamed Revolutionary Workers Party in 1973).

Samarakkody was also a member of Dehiwela-Mt Lavinia Urban Council and served as its chairman.

Electoral history + Electoral history of Edmund SamarakkodyElectionConstituencyPartyVotesResult 1947 parliamentary Mirigama BLPI Not elected 1952 parliamentary Dehiowita LSSP Elected 1956 parliamentary Dehiowita LSSP Elected 1960 March parliamentary Kesbewa LSSP Not elected 1960 July parliamentary Bulathsinhala LSSP Elected 1965 parliamentary Bulathsinhala LSSP(R) Not elected