Sri Lanka’s largest opposition party rejected an invitation from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday to form a unity government.
Protests continued over the country’s worst economic crisis in memory and deepening mistrust in Mr Rajapaksa's leadership.
All 26 Cabinet ministers resigned on Sunday night after thousands of people defied a countrywide state of emergency and curfew, and joined street protests denouncing the government.
The office of Mr Rajapaksa, who assumed emergency powers by decree at midnight on Friday, said he “invites all political parties represented in the Parliament to come together to accept ministerial portfolios in order to find solutions to this national crisis".
The largest opposition political party, the United People’s Force, or SJB, immediately rejected the unity government proposal.
“The people of this country want Gotabaya and the entire Rajapaksa family to go and we can’t go against the people’s will and we can’t work alongside the corrupt,” top SJB official Ranjth Madduma Banadara told AP.
SJB has 54 seats in the 225-member Parliament. Its rejection of the president’s request is likely to result in continued uncertainty and protests, which were held throughout the country on Monday.
A countrywide curfew was lifted on Monday morning.
The president and his older brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, continued to hold on to power.
Two other brothers, finance minister Basil Rajapaksa and Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, were among those who resigned, along with the prime minister’s son, sports minister Namal Rajapaksa.
Those resignations were regarded as the family’s effort to pacify public anger while retaining executive, defence and legislative powers.
Sri Lankan police fire tear gas after protesters defy curfew
The Central Bank’s top official, accused of economic mismanagement, also resigned on Monday.
For months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy fuel, cooking gas, foods and medicine, most of which come from abroad and are paid for in hard currency.
The fuel shortage has caused rolling power cuts lasting several hours a day.
The extent of the crisis became clear when Sri Lanka could not pay for imports of basic supplies because of its huge debts and dwindling foreign reserves.
The country’s usable foreign reserves reportedly amount to be less than $400 million, according to experts, and it has nearly $7 billion in foreign debt obligations for this year.
Meanwhile, a key ally of the president’s ruling coalition withdrew support on Monday, weakening his control in Parliament.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party — which comprised 14 out of the nearly 150 members of the ruling coalition — will act independently starting on Tuesday, when the Parliament meets, party official Mahinda Amaraweera said.
Police used a water cannon to disperse angry protesters who marched toward the Rajapaksa family home in southern Sri Lanka, demanding that they quit.
Demonstrators shouting slogans also surrounded the homes of the resigning ministers and ruling party legislators in several parts of the country.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s emergency declaration gives him wide powers to protect public order, suppress mutinies, riots or civil disturbances or for the maintenance of essential supplies.
Under the decree, the president can authorise detentions, seizure of property and searches of premises. He can also change or suspend any law except the constitution.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday swore in four temporary Cabinet ministers to continue the main government functions of foreign affairs and finance, and to help lead the ruling party’s parliamentary group.
Sri Lankans, including professionals, students and families with small children, defied the emergency decree and curfew on Sunday to demand the president’s resignation.
“In this country it is so difficult,” said Inoma Fazil, a fashion designer who took her 18-month-old daughter to a protest in the Colombo suburb of Rajagiriya on Sunday.'
“We don’t want to leave the country and go and we want to give our child a good future, but everyone is stealing our money. So we came here for her and the rest of the children.”
Two new parents with their newborn joined the rally directly from the maternity hospital. They were greeted with cheers by the protesters, who sang the national anthem and waved flags and placards.
For nearly 15 hours, authorities blocked access to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp and other social media platforms used to organise the protests.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa last month said his government was in talks with the International Monetary Fund and had turned to China and India for loans.
He appealed to people to limit their use of fuel and electricity, and “extend their support to the country".
