Lankan parties want interim govt with new PM

COLOMBO, Apr 11 (Reuters): Three parties that recently withdrew from Sri Lanka's ruling coalition have proposed forming an interim government with a new prime minister replacing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's brother, they said on Monday, as the country's economic crisis rolls on.

Dragged down by debt, the island nation of 22 million people is running short of power, fuel, food and medicines due to a lack of money for imports. It has reached out to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and countries like India and China for urgent financial help.

Rajapaksa dissolved his cabinet last week and called for a unity government to help tackle the crisis, as 41 lawmakers walked out of the ruling coalition to become independents in the 225-seat parliament. The government has said it has a majority despite their walkout.

Three parties that 16 of those lawmakers belong to told reporters that they had met the president and the prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and that more talks were scheduled for Tuesday. The prime minister is expected to address the nation later on Monday.