President defies calls to step down, despite mounting pressure

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has defied intensifying calls for his departure, even as pressure over the past five months has forced several members of his family, including his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was prime minister, to resign.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, the patriarch of the family, which has already served two terms as president, has also been dragging its feet in the face of protests. He resigned as prime minister only after protesters stormed his residence in May, forcing him to seek protection at a military base in the middle of the night.

Officials close to Gotabaya Rajapaksa tried to buy time by blaming much of the blame for mismanagement on family members who were expelled from the government.

Four Rajapaksa brothers and their sons and relatives, controlled the most important government ministries and portfolios. But protesters continued to demand the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, now a protest camp for more than three months right outside the presidential secretariat.

In recent months, the government has mostly run on credit and financial aid from partners like India, but it appears the government has exhausted those options as well. Officials remain in talks with the International Monetary Fund to restructure Sri Lanka's huge external debt so that it can receive relief funding for urgent needs.

Sri Lanka has repeatedly run out of fuel in recent months, with citizens queuing outside gas stations, often to no avail. Local media have reported the deaths of at least 15 people in fuel lines, from heat stroke and other causes, since the crisis began.