Sri Lanka president won’t resign despite growing protests

By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A government minister says Sri Lanka’s president will not step down and instead will face the political and economic crisis that has sparked large protests demanding his resignation. Sri Lanka has endured months of shortages of fuel and other essentials, and the protests over the economic troubles have spread nationwide and expanded to criticism of the powerful Rajapaksa political family. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resisted the calls for him to resign even after members of his own coalition made them this week. The main opposition party has rejected Rajapaksa’s proposal for a unity government, and several governing party lawmakers say they won’t vote with the coalition.