Former Galle Mayor Lionel Premasiri joins SJB 

Former Galle District Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister Lionel Premasiri officially joined the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) this week, pledging his support to opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

Premasiri, a lawyer by profession and an alumnus of Galle Mahinda Vidyalaya, began his political career with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), where he was appointed as the Mayor of Galle. He later crossed over to the United National Party (UNP), securing re-election as Mayor.

In 2004, Premasiri was elected to Parliament representing the Galle district under the UNP banner. Due to political disagreements, he switched allegiance to the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and served as the Deputy Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare from 2007 to 2010. Additionally, he has also served as Canada’s Deputy High Commissioner.