Sri Lankans occupy president’s office entrance for 2nd day

By KRISHAN FRANCIS
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan protesters have occupied the entrance to the president’s office for a second day, demanding Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign over the debt-ridden country’s worst economic crisis in memory. Hundreds of demonstrators on Sunday weathered heavy rain with raincoats and umbrellas and chanted anti-government slogans. Some called for the entire Parliament to disband to make way for a younger leadership. The Indian Ocean island nation is on the brink of bankruptcy, saddled with $25 billion foreign debt _ nearly $7 billion of which is due this year alone _ and dwindling foreign reserves. Talks with the International Monetary Fund are expected later this month, and the government had turned to China and India for emergency loans to buy food and fuel.