Researcher, Entrepreneur and media professional elected as Mayor

Researcher, Social Entrepreneur and media professional turned politician Vraie Cally Balthazaar, 40 is the new Mayor for Colombo city

Her involvement with party politics has been short, but as an activist she has been campaigning on social issues for several years.

She joined the JVP-affiliated Socialist Youth Union in 2021 and went on to get involved in politics of the JVP backed National People’s Power (NPP).

She also contested the Parliamentary elections from the NPP held last year, but was not able to get the required votes to be elected.

Balthazaar was educated  at Methodist College, Colombo and went on to obtain a degree in fashion design, a Postgraduate Diploma in Gender and Women’s Studies, and a Master’s in the same field.

She was involved in with several NGOs with the focus on women and children.

As a media person she worked for a television station and presented the morning show for the channel.

Pix by M.A.Pushpakumara