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Teacher-turned- politician passes away
View(s):Ariyaratne Jayatilleke who represented the Divulapitiya seat in Parliament for the UNP for several years, passed away yesterday at the age of 92. Mr.Jayatilleke who began life as a teacher serving in the Mayurapada School at Narammala, later served as the Principal of the D.S.Senanayake School in Mirigama before entering politics.
He contested the Divulapitiaya seat in 1970 and lost but in 1977 he won the seat defeating Lakshman Jayakoday, a senior SLFP member in the area. He served as a District Minister first and later as the State Minister of Mineral and Mineral based Industries in the Government of President Ranasinghe Premadasa from 1989 until leaving to join the Democratic United National Front (DUNF) formed by a group of dissident UNP members.
His funeral will be held at Ulalapola, Divulapitiya tomorrow.