Sri Lanka's president lost his parliamentary majority Tuesday as former allies urged his resignation, following days of street protests over the island nation's crippling economic crisis.
Severe shortages of food, fuel and other essentials -- along with record inflation and crippling power cuts -- have inflicted widespread misery in the country's most painful downturn since independence from Britain in 1948.
One newly independent lawmaker who broke ranks with the president's party told parliament it was time for the leader to step down and make room for others to address the worsening crisis."We have to forget party politics and ensure an interim government." Opposition parties have already rebuffed his call to join a unity administration helmed by the president and his elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Most demonstrations have been peaceful, with Catholic clergy and nuns leading a silent procession in the capitalNimal Lanza, a former minister who has also abandoned Rajapaksa's administration, conceded that the ruling party no longer had a mandate to govern and threw his support behind the crowds calling for the president's resignation.
Former justice minister Ali Sabry was appointed to helm the finance ministry on Monday, replacing the president's brother Basil Rajapaksa, but abruptly resigned after just one day in office. Protesters there torched the vehicles of security forces, who responded by firing rubber bullets and tear gas.
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