Namal Rajapaksa Enters Sri Lankan Presidential Race

The Rajapaksa scion joins a four-way contest, challenging incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe amid ongoing economic recovery efforts.

Namal Rajapaksa, 38, was announced as the SLPP candidate for the September 21 presidential election.
His candidacy follows the withdrawal of the initially favored candidate, Dhammika Perera.
The Rajapaksa family seeks to regain political influence after being ousted during the 2022 economic crisis.
Incumbent President Wickremesinghe, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, and Marxist leader Anura Dissanayake are also in the race.
The election is crucial for concluding Sri Lanka's debt restructuring and financial reforms under the IMF bailout program.