SRI LANKA’S opposition parties were due to meet yesterday to agree on a new government a day after the country’s president and prime minister offered to resign after protesters stormed their homes in a rage over the economic crisis.

Protesters remained in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s home, his seaside office and the prime minister’s residence, saying they will stay until they officially resign. Soldiers were deployed around the capital Colombo and defence chief Shavendra Silva called for public support to maintain law and order.

Thousands of protesters headed to Colombo on Saturday and swarmed into Mr Rajapaksa’s fortified residence.