Sri Lanka president Rajapaksa will not resign despite protests: Minister

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will not resign, a minister said on Wednesday, despite protests against his handling of the country's worst economic crisis in decades and as doctors held street protests over a shortage of medicine.

Rajapaksa, governing the country since 2019 with other family members in top positions, revoked a state of emergency late on Tuesday after five days as dozens of lawmakers walked out of the ruling coalition, leaving his government in a minority.

People have been suffering from shortages of fuel, power, food, drugs and other items for weeks, and doctors say the entire health system