Sri Lanka talks grow urgent as political vacuum deepens

Sri Lanka is in a political vacuum for a second day Monday with opposition leaders yet to agree on who should replace its roundly rejected leaders, whose residences are occupied by protesters, angry over the country's economic woes.

Protesters remained in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence, his seaside office and the prime minister's official home, which they took possession of on Saturday demanding the two leaders to step down. It was the biggest and most eventful day of protests over the past three months surrounding the administrative district in capital Colombo.

They remained there Monday saying they would stay until the resignations are official.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Saturday he would leave office once a new government is in place, and hours later the speaker of Parliament said Rajapaksa would step down Wednesday.

Wickremesinghe's office said Monday that Rajapaksa has confirmed his earlier decision to resign on Wednesday.

The president hasn't been seen or heard publicly since Saturday and his location is unknown, but his office said Sunday that he ordered the immediate distribution of a cooking gas consignment to the public, suggesting that he was still at work.

Pressure on both men had grown as the economic meltdown set off acute shortages of essential items, leaving people struggling to obtain food, fuel and other necessities.

Opposition party leaders have been in discussion to form an alternative all-party government, an urgent requirement of bankrupt nation to continue discussions with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout program.

Lawmaker Udaya Gammanpila said the main opposition United People's Front and lawmakers who have defected Rajapaksa's ruling coalition...