A founding member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Jayaratne was first elected to parliament in 1970. Jayaratne first entered parliament following the 1970 general election, as candidate in the Gampola electorate. Re-elected to parliament under the People’s Alliance in 1994, Jayaratne was appointed Minister of Land, Agriculture and Forestry, entering the cabinet for the first time.
He held several other ministerial portfolios before being appointed as the Prime Minister in 2010. Jayaratne has three children including MP Anuradha Jayaratne. His wife is Anula Yapa. The former Prime Ministers funeral arrangements will be announced later, family sources said.