Namal Rajapaksa Named SLPP Presidential Candidate Amidst Party Turmoil

Namal Rajapaksa, the 38-year-old heir to the Rajapaksa dynasty, has been named the SLPP candidate for the presidential election. His nomination ends the Rajapaksa family’s support for incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The candidacy fuels a highly contested election involving key political figures amidst internal party conflicts.

Namal Rajapaksa, the 38-year-old heir to the Rajapaksa dynasty, has officially been named the SLPP candidate for the upcoming presidential election, terminating the family's support for incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Announced by Sagara Kariyawasam, the general secretary of the Sri Lanka People's Front (SLPP), the younger Rajapaksa's candidacy was confirmed at a ceremony held at the party headquarters on Wednesday.

Namal's entry into the race adds complexity to what has already become a four-cornered contest, including President Wickremesinghe, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, and Marxist JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

(With inputs from agencies.)