Sri Lankan lawmakers seek interim government to solve crisis

By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI and ERANGA JAYAWARDENA
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A group of Sri Lankan governing party lawmakers has called for the appointment of an interim government. They are warning that a failure to do so would lead to violence and anarchy as protests continue demanding the resignation of the president over the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. They urged the Parliament speaker to lead discussions with all parties to select an interim prime minister with the support of a majority of lawmakers. However, the largest opposition party says it will not support any interim government and insists that the president resign immediately. Sri Lanka’s Cabinet resigned Sunday night after thousands of people defied a state of emergency and curfew and joined street protests denouncing the government.