Sri Lanka lawmakers to pick new president but no deal on PM

By KRISHAN FRANCIS
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s lawmakers have agreed to elect a new president next week but are struggling to decide on the makeup of a new government to lift the bankrupt country out of economic and political collapse. Facing severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine, protesters on Saturday stormed embattled the president’s home, his seaside office and the official residence of his prime minister. Both officials said they would concede to demands that they resign. The president promised to step down Wednesday, while the prime minister said he would leave once a new government was in place. The promised resignations brought no end to the crisis. Lawmakers agreed to elect a new president from their ranks. But they continued to struggle Tuesday to decide who will take over as prime minister.