Sri Lanka's largest opposition party rejected the president's invitation to form a unity government, as protests continued Monday over the country's worst economic crisis in memory and deepening mistrust in his leadership.
All 26 Cabinet ministers handed in their resignations Sunday night after thousands of people defied a state of emergency and curfew and joined street protests denouncing the government.
“The people of this country want Gotabaya and the entire Rajapaksa family to go and we can't go against the people's will and we can't work alongside the corrupt,” top SJB official Ranjth Madduma Banadara told The Associated Press. Two other brothers, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, were among those who resigned, along with the prime minister's son, Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa. Those resignations were seen as the family's effort to pacify public anger while retaining executive, defense and lawmaking powers.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party - which comprised 14 out of the nearly 150 members of the ruling coalition - will act independently starting Tuesday, when the Parliament meets, party official Mahinda Amaraweera told reporters. The president on Monday swore in four temporary Cabinet ministers to continue the main governmental functions of foreign affairs and finance, and to help lead the ruling party's parliamentary group.
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