Meryl Fernando

Weerahennedige Theodore Wilfred Meryl Fernando (18 April 1923 – 27 May 2007) was a Ceylonese teacher, trade unionist, politician and Member of Parliament.

Early life and family Fernando was born on 18 April 1923. He was educated at Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa. After school he joined Ceylon University College in 1941, passing the London intermediate examination in 1944. He had two children - Sharmalie Nimalka Nagle and Arosha. He met Edmund Samarakkody, with whom he would be politically associated with for most of his life, whilst working for the BLPI. He did not have a car and traveled to Parliament by bus.

Whilst Ceylon's main political parties, the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), supported the Sinhala Only Act, the leftists, led by the LSSP, opposed the act. In May 1960 LSSP leader N. M. Perera proposed that the party form a coalition government with SLFP. The LSSP joined the SLFP government in June 1964. LSSP members who opposed the move (Fernando, V. 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). Fernando supported the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna's 1971 insurrection. He took an active role in the 1980 general strike.

Fernando died on 27 May 2007 at his home in Koralawella, Moratuwa.

Electoral history + Electoral history of Meryl FernandoElectionConstituencyPartyVotesResult 1956 parliamentary Moratuwa LSSP Elected 1960 March parliamentary Moratuwa LSSP Not elected 1960 July parliamentary Moratuwa LSSP Elected 1965 parliamentary Moratuwa LSSP(R) Not elected 1977 parliamentary Moratuwa Not elected