[1] He now serves as president of the trade union Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya and remains affiliated with the United National Party.
[4] His father is William Godage Kariyawasam, a former registrar at Wayamba University of Sri Lanka and local businessman.
[4] As an undergraduate, Kariyawasam studied economics, political science and international relations at the University of Colombo.
His party secured seven of 16 Parliament seats available in Kurunegala that year, with UNP candidates receiving 42.94% of all votes cast in the district.
Kariyawasam went on to serve as president of the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya, a trade union affiliated with the UNP.