Vraie Cally Balthazaar of the NPP takes office as Colombo’s 26th Mayor after winning a secret ballot with 61 votes. She makes history as the city’s second female mayor.
Vraie Cally Balthazaar, representing the National People’s Power (NPP), officially assumed her role today as the 26th Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) marking a significant milestone in Colombo’s political landscape.
Her assumption of office follows a closely contested secret ballot held on Monday, in which Balthazaar secured 61 votes, narrowly defeating Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) candidate Riza Zarook, who garnered 54 votes.
This result reflects not only a shift in political control within the country’s most prominent local authority but also a historic achievement for women in leadership. With this victory, Balthazaar becomes the second female to serve as Mayor of Colombo, a position that has seen 25 predecessors, almost all male.
Her election is seen as a boost for the NPP’s expanding urban influence and comes amid renewed calls for progressive governance, transparency, and greater female representation in local government.
The CMC, Sri Lanka’s oldest and largest local government body, now sees a fresh face at its helm, bringing hopes for a modernized, people-centric administration.
