PM says protests are hurting rebuilding of Sri Lanka economy

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa appealed for protesters to end the weeks of mass demonstrations that have called for the government to resign over the country's worst economic crisis in decades

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa appealed for protesters to end the weeks of mass demonstrations that have called for the government to resign over the country’s worst economic crisis in decades.

Rajapaksa and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, have become a focus of the protests that started over shortages of fuel, food and other essentials and daily power outages. Most of those items are paid in hard currency, but Sri Lanka is on the brink of bankruptcy, saddled with dwindling foreign reserves and $25 billion in foreign debt. Nearly $7 billion is due this year.

In a televised speech to the nation, Rajapaksa says the government is launching a plan to rebuild the country and “every second” protesters spend demonstrating on the streets takes away opportunities to receive crucial foreign currency.

Protesters, meanwhile, continued occupying the entrance to the president’s office for a third day Monday demanding he resign.