The heir apparent to Sri Lanka’s influential Rajapaksa family will be a candidate in the presidential election this September.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The individual considered the heir apparent to Sri Lanka’s influential Rajapaksa family will run in the presidential election scheduled for September, according to an announcement from his political party. This move is seen as an attempt to restore the family’s political power following a significant setback during the country’s severe economic crisis two years ago.

The Sri Lanka Peoples’ Front has named 38-year-old lawyer Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, as their candidate for the September 21 election. This election will be the first since Sri Lanka experienced its worst economic crisis.

The outcome of the election is crucial for Sri Lanka as it seeks to complete a debt restructuring program and implement financial reforms required under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout.

Nominations for the election will be accepted starting August 15.

The Rajapaksa family has been a dominant force in Sri Lankan politics since the country gained independence from Britain in 1948, producing numerous lawmakers over three generations. Mahinda Rajapaksa served as president from 2005 to 2015 and was noted for leading the country to victory over Tamil rebels in 2009, ending a 26-year civil war.

However, in 2015, Mahinda Rajapaksa lost the presidency to an opposition candidate. The family returned to power in 2019 when Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda’s younger brother, won the presidential election with a promise to restore security following the Easter Sunday bombings.

In 2022, the Rajapaksa family lost power amid a severe economic crisis caused largely by mismanagement and lack of accountability. The crisis led to shortages of essential goods and widespread riots, resulting in the resignation of several Rajapaksa family members from their government positions, including Namal Rajapaksa, who was then Minister of Youth and Sports. They continued to serve as lawmakers.

Following the crisis, Ranil Wickremesinghe, then Prime Minister, was elected president by Parliament. Under Wickremesinghe’s administration, economic conditions have improved, but there is growing public dissatisfaction with new tax measures and rising utility bills imposed as part of the IMF bailout conditions.

Wickremesinghe has announced his intention to run in the September election. Main competitors include opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Anura Dissanayake, leader of a popular leftist party.

It remains uncertain whether Namal Rajapaksa will succeed in the election, as his party, the Sri Lanka Peoples’ Front, is currently divided, with some members supporting Wickremesinghe. Wickremesinghe’s party holds only one seat in the 225-member Parliament and governs with support from Rajapaksa’s party lawmakers.