Sri Lankan protesters remain at leaders' residences as politicians wrangle over new government

Sri Lanka was in a political vacuum for a second day Monday with opposition leaders yet to agree on who should replace its roundly rejected leaders, whose residences are occupied by protesters angry over the country's deep economic woes.

Protesters remained in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence, his seaside office and the prime minister's official home, which they stormed on Saturday demanding the two leaders step down. It marked the most dramatic day of protests during three months of a relentless crisis that has pushed many to the brink to despair amid acute shortages of fuel, food, medicine and other necessities.

The protesters, who come from all walks of life, vowed to stay put until the resignations of the leaders are official.

In a video statement Monday, the first since Saturday's protests, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe reiterated that he will stay on until a new government is in place because he wants to work within the constitution.

"A government has to function according to the law. I am here to protect the constitution and through it fulfil the people's demands. What we need today is an all-party government and we will take steps to establish that," Wickremesinghe said.

He also explained the sequence of events that led to the burning of his private residence on Saturday. He said that angry protesters gathered around his house after a lawmaker, in what Wickremesinghe said was an inaccurate tweet, said that he had refused to resign at a meeting of parliamentary party leaders.

"Police baton charged and fired tear gas. The last option was to shoot. We did not shoot but they came and burnt the house," he said.

Wickremesinghe said he took over as prime minister to salvage the economy, and it would take at least one year to complete the initial steps needed for a full recovery.

Also Monday, a group of nine cabinet ministers announced they will quit immediately to make way for an all-party government, outgoing Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe said. Wickremesinghe's office said, meanwhile, that another group that met the prime minister decided to stay on until a new government is formed.

The president hasn't been seen or heard publicly since Saturday and his location is unknown. But his office said Sunday that he ordered the immediate distribution of a cooking gas consignment to the public, suggesting that he was still at work.

Opposition party leaders have been in talks to form an alternative unity government, an urgent requirement of a bankrupt nation to continue discussions with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout program.

Lawmaker Udaya Gammanpila said the main opposition United People's Front and lawmakers who have defected Rajapaksa's ruling coalition have had discussions and agreed to work together. Main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Dullas Alahapperuma, who was a minister under Rajapaksa, have been proposed to take over as president and prime minister and have been asked to decide on how to share the positions before a meeting with the parliamentary speaker later Monday.

"We can't be in an anarchical condition. We have to somehow reach a consensus today," Gammanpila said.

Opposition parties are also concerned over military leaders making statements about public security in the absence of a civil administration.