Dehiowita at the 1952 parliamentary election. He won the election and entered Parliament. 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. In May 1960 LSSP leader Perera proposed that the party form a coalition government with SLFP. Samarakkody led a group of LSSP members opposed the proposition. De Silva, de Souza, Goonewardene and Soysa initially opposed Perera's proposition but eventually abandoned their beliefs and supported the move. The LSSP joined the SLFP government in June 1964. 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. In December 1964 the LSSP(R)'s two MPs, Fernando and Samarakkody, together with several rebel SLFP MPs, voted for an opposition amendment to the government's throne speech, defeating the government and precipitating the dissolution of Parliament. Fernando and Samarakkody's action proved controversial within the LSSP(R) as they had in effect supported the capitalist UNP which would go on to win the 1965 parliamentary election. The LSSP(R) supported Fernando and Samarakkody's action but some members who opposed it (Karalasingham and the Sakthi group) left the LSSP(R) and rejoined the LSSP in 1966. Samarakkody stood as the LSSP(R) candidate in Bulathsinhala at the 1965 parliamentary election but failed to get re-elected. 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. During the Sri Lankan Civil War Samarakkody was one of only a few Sinhalese who spoke up for the Tamils, whom he considered were oppressed by Sinhalese bourgeoisie, and their right to self-determination. Samarakkody died on 4 January 1992 at Colombo General Hospital. Electoral history References 1912 births 1992 deaths Alumni of Ceylon Law College Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia Ceylonese proctors Escapees from British Ceylon