More protests are expected in Sri Lanka amid growing pressure on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to quit.

Crowds have protested for weeks over power cuts and shortages of gas, food and other basic goods.

Rajapaksa was forced on April 5 to revoke a state of emergency declaration, after it became clear he could not win enough support from MPs to ratify it.

The chief government whip said on April 6 that Rajapaksa, president since 2019, would not resign “under any circumstances.”

But Rajapaksa has lost his majority in parliament, his ministers have resigned and the opposition has rejected his attempts to form a unity government.

A lack of foreign currency has left Sri Lanka struggling to service its $51 billion foreign debt, with the pandemic slashing vital revenue from tourism and remittances. Economists say mismanagement has deepened the crisis.

Aljazeera.