[2] They had three daughters and one son, Manouri, Davindra, Dilupa and Nadika.

[3] In 1960 he entered Parliament from the Katana electorate as a United National Party candidate, and was re-elected in 1965[4] when he was promoted to Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works, Post and Telecommunications.

[5] Except for a brief period after the defeat at the 1970 general election[6] he represented the seat until 1989.

[5] In 1993 after the assassination of President Premadasa and Ranil Wickremesinghe became Prime Minister, he was appointed Leader of the House.

[7] Mendis became the Chief Opposition Whip[8] after the 1994 parliamentary election until 1998 when he joined the People's Alliance Government with the United National Party alternative group in opposition to the United National Party leadership.