Sri Lanka lawmakers to pick new president but no deal on PM

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's lawmakers agreed to elect a new president next week but struggled Tuesday to decide on the makeup of a new government to lift the bankrupt country out of economic and political collapse.

Suffering from severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine, protesters on Saturday stormed embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's home, his seaside office and the official residence of his prime minister in the most dramatic day of a three-month crisis.

Both officials agreed to concede to demands they resign: Rajapaksa promised to step down Wednesday, while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would leave once a new government was in place.

As anger mounted, particularly against Rajapaksa and his influential family, immigration officials said one of the president's brothers tried to leave the country on Monday night.

Local media reported he was not able to.

The promised resignations brought no end to the crisis — and the protesters have vowed to occupy the official buildings until their top leaders are gone. For days, people have flocked to the presidential palace almost as if it were a tourist attraction — swimming in the pool, marvelling at the paintings and lounging on the beds piled high with pillows.

At one point, they also burned the prime minister's private home.

While lawmakers agreed late Monday to elect a new president from their ranks on July 20, they have not yet decided who will take over as prime minister and fill the Cabinet.

The new president will serve the remainder of Rajapaksa's term, which ends in 2024 — and could potentially appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by Parliament.

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