Mayor of Colombo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayor of Colombo |
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|---|---|
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Incumbent
vacant since 19 March 2023 |
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| Colombo Municipal Council | |
| Style | His/ Her Worship |
| Residence | Sirinivasa |
| Seat | Town Hall, Colombo |
| Constituting instrument | Municipal Council Ordinance No. 17 of 1865 |
| Formation | 1866 |
| First holder | Charles Peter Layard |
| Deputy | Vacant |
The Mayor of Colombo is like the main leader of the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. This important job started in 1866. That's when the Colombo Municipal Council (the city council) was first created.
The Mayor gets help from a deputy mayor and a Municipal Commissioner. Since 1944, most mayors have been from the United National Party (UNP).
Contents
How the Mayor is Chosen
People vote for the Mayor in a special election. This election follows rules from the Local Authority Election Ordinance. The person from the political party that wins the most seats in the city council becomes Mayor. A Mayor usually serves for four years.
What the Mayor Does for Colombo
The Mayor's main powers come from a law called the Municipal Council Ordinance No. 29 of 1947. The Mayor is the chief executive, meaning they are the main boss of the city council.
The city council, led by the Mayor, is responsible for many important things in Colombo:
- Helping people in the community with social services.
- Keeping the city healthy and clean. This includes public health and environmental issues.
- Providing emergency services, but not police work. The central government handles policing.
- Planning how the city grows and develops. This is called urban planning.
- Managing trash and wastewater. This is known as sanitation.
Mayor's Office and Special Rights
The Mayor works at the Colombo Town Hall. The official home for the Mayor is called Sirinivasa. The Mayor's official title is His/Her Worship the Mayor of Colombo.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor also have a special role. They can act as Justice of the Peace and Unofficial Magistrates. This means they can lead a special court for city issues. This power lasts as long as they are in office.
Official Dress for the Mayor
On special occasions, the Mayor wears a bright red gown. They also wear a special chain around their neck called the Mayoral Chain of Office.
Mayor's Salary
The Mayor of Colombo earns Rs 30,000 per month. This is the same salary for all mayors in Sri Lanka.
Past Mayors of Colombo
Here is a list of people who have served as the Mayor of Colombo.
- Political Parties
United National Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party Independent
| Name | Portrait | Took office | Left office | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Peter Layard | January 1866 | June 1877 | ||
| Frederick Richard Saunders | July 1877 | December 1883 | ||
| William Dumaresq Wright | January 1884 | 6 August 1886 | ||
| G. S. Williams | August 1886 | August 1887 | ||
| George Thomas Michael O'Brien | September 1887 | September 1887 | ||
| Lionel Frederick Lee | October 1887 | November 1887 | ||
| Hardinge Hay Cameron | November 1887 | September 1893 | ||
| Charles Edward Ducat Pennycuick | October 1893 | April 1895 | ||
| Ferdinando Hamblyn Price | May 1895 | March 1901 | ||
| Arthur Sampson Pagden | April 1901 | February 1905 | ||
| E. M. de C. Short | March 1905 | May 1910 | ||
| K. W. B. McLeod | May 1910 | April 1912 | ||
| C. R. Cumberland | May 1912 | November 1912 | ||
| W. E. Thorpe | December 1912 | January 1913 | ||
| E. B. Alexander | February 1913 | October 1913 | ||
| R. W. Byrde | November 1913 | September 1919 | ||
| T. Reid | October 1919 | July 1924 | ||
| Hubert Ernest Newnham | August 1924 | July 1931 | ||
| Walter Terence Stace | July 1931 | March 1932 | ||
| William Lindsay Murphy | March 1932 | March 1935 | ||
| William Lindsay Murphy | November 1935 | May 1937 |
| Name | Portrait | Party | Took office | Left office | Refs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratnasothy Saravanamuttu | May 1937 | December 1937 | ||||
| V. R. S. Schokman | January 1938 | December 1939 | ||||
| A. E. Goonesinghe | January 1940 | December 1940 | ||||
| Ratnasothy Saravanamuttu | January 1941 | December 1942 | ||||
| George R. de Silva | January 1943 | December 1943 | ||||
| R. A. de Mel | January 1944 | December 1944 | ||||
| R. S. F. de Mel | January 1945 | December 1945 | ||||
| R. A. de Mel | January 1946 | December 1946 | ||||
| R. S. F. de Mel | January 1947 | December 1949 | ||||
| Kumaran Ratnam | January 1950 | December 1950 | ||||
| S. Sellamuttu | January 1951 | December 1951 | ||||
| C. T. Grero | January 1952 | 11 August 1953 | ||||
| T. Rudra | 21 September 1953 | 13 August 1954 | ||||
| N. M. Perera | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | 13 August 1954 | 28 February 1956 | |||
| V. A. Sugathadasa | United National Party | 6 March 1956 | 1 December 1957 | |||
| M. H. Mohamed | United National Party | 12 January 1960 | 10 January 1963 | |||
| V. A. Sugathadasa | United National Party | 10 January 1963 | 10 April 1965 | |||
| Vincent Perera | United National Party | 10 April 1965 | 1966 | |||
| Jabir A. Cader | United National Party | 1966 | 1969 | |||
| Vincent Perera | United National Party | 1970 | 1973 | |||
| A. H. M. Fowzie | United National Party | 1974 | 1977 | |||
| B. Sirisena Cooray | United National Party | 1979 | 1989 | |||
| M. Hussain Mohamad | United National Party | 1989 | 1991 | |||
| Ratnasiri Rajapakse | United National Party | 1991 | 1994 | |||
| K. Ganeshalingam | United National Party | June 1996 | March 1997 | |||
| Karu Jayasuriya | United National Party | 1997 | 1999 | |||
| Omar Kamil | United National Party | 1999 | 2002 | |||
| Prasanna Gunawardena | United National Party | 3 June 2002 | 2006 | |||
| Uvais Mohamed Imitiyas | Independent UNP-backed | 2 June 2006 | 2010 | |||
| A. J. M. Muzammil | United National Party | 17 October 2011 | 31 March 2016 | |||
| Rosy Senanayake | United National Party | 6 March 2018 | 19 March 2023 | |||
