Sajith Premadasa

Hon. Sajith Premadasa MP
සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස சஜித் பிரேமதாச
Premadasa in 2016
15th Leader of the Opposition
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 January 2020
President	Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe
Prime Minister	Mahinda Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe Dinesh Gunawardena
Preceded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 February 2020
Preceded by	Position Established
Minister of Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs
In office 20 December 2018 – 17 November 2019
President	Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by	Wimal Weerawansa
Succeeded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
In office 12 January 2015 – 26 October 2018
President	Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by	Wimal Weerawansa
Succeeded by	Wimal Weerawansa
Deputy Minister of Health
In office 2001–2004
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Member of Parliament for Colombo District
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 August 2020
Majority	305,744 Preferential Votes
Member of Parliament for Hambantota District
In office 18 October 2000 – 3 March 2020
Majority	112,645 Preferential Votes
Deputy Leader of the United National Party
In office 2014–2020
Preceded by	Karu Jayasuriya
Succeeded by	Ruwan Wijewardene
In office 2011–2013
Preceded by	Karu Jayasuriya
Succeeded by	Karu Jayasuriya
Member of Constitutional Council (Sri Lanka)
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 October 2020
President	Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe
Prime Minister	Mahinda Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe Dinesh Gunawardena
Personal details
Born	(1967-01-12) 12 January 1967 (age 57) Colombo, Dominion of Ceylon
Political party	Samagi Jana Balawegaya (after 2020)
Other political affiliations	United National Party (before 2020)
Spouse	Jalani Premadasa ​ (m. 1999)​
Children	1 daughter Diyanthna
Parent(s)	Ranasinghe Premadasa Hema Premadasa
Education	Royal College, Colombo
Alma mater	London School of Economics University of Maryland
Profession	Politician
Website	Official website

Sajith Premadasa (Sinhala: සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස, Tamil: சஜித் பிரேமதாச; born 12 January 1967) is a Sri Lankan politician. He is the current Leader of the Opposition of Sri Lanka and Member of Parliament for Colombo District.^[1] He is the current leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.^[2]

Premadasa is the son of Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was the President of Sri Lanka from 1989 to 1993. He was educated at S. Thomas' Preparatory School, Royal College, Colombo and Mill Hill School before entering London School of Economics. He was doing his postgraduate studies at the University of Maryland when his father was assassinated in 1993. He returned to Sri Lanka and entered politics, representing the Hambantota District, having joined the United National Party. He was elected to parliament in 2000 and was appointed Deputy Minister of Health in 2001, serving until 2004. He was appointed deputy leader of the United National Party in 2011 and was appointed Cabinet Minister of Housing and Samurdhi in President Sirisena's national government in 2015. He contested the 2019 Presidential Election in November 2019 as the Presidential Candidate from United National Front, in which he polled second. In December 2019, he was appointed as the leader of the opposition and a member of the Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka.^[3] On 30 January 2020, he was selected as the leader (hence Prime Ministerial candidate) of a new UNP lead alliance.^[4]