July 30, 2010, 9:49 pm

By Denagama Dhammika Ranaweera

MP Mangala Samaraweera will receive membership of the UNP on August 6. Samaraweera, who contested the last parliamentary elections from Matara on the UNP ticket is the leader of the SLFP (M).

Political sources said that this was confirmed by the UNP during party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to Ranamaduragama, Weligama, where he met the wife and three children of Rienzie Algama, who committed suicide opposite Sirikotha demanding an immediate end to internal disputes.

Sources said that MP Samaraweera had decided to join the UNP following a series of discussions with party seniors. The former SLFP Matara District leader’s move was anticipated in the wake of all his nominees failing at the April 8 election.

In the run-up to the election, former UPFA MP Samaraweera vowed to amalgamate his newly formed party with the SLFP.