By Susitha Fernando

Colombo, Apr 6 (IANS): Despite the week-long public protests across Sri Lanka and losing the majority in Parliament, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday refused to give up power.

The President's party Chief whip and reappointed Highway Minister Johnston Fernando said in Parliament that "President will not resign but face this".

"The President has a mandate of 6.9 million people. As a government we want to say clearly that the President will not resign," said Minister Fernando adding that "We will fight this."

The minister was responding to the Opposition's demand that the current crisis could be solved if the President resigns.

"If the President resigns we can appoint a President from Parliament," Lakshman Kiriella told the Speaker.

Facing the worst ever economic crisis with dried up dollar reserves and rocketing inflation, the Indian ocean island nation is going through a tough time without fuel, LP gas, electricity, food and medicine. Doctors have warned that the country is in a medical emergency with major essential drugs in shortage.

Since Thursday, people are on the street demanding the resignation of the Rajapaksa family. Amid the public protests, on Sunday the President made his cabinet resign and on Tuesday the coalition parties with 41 out of 225 MPs in Parliament left Rajapaksa to stand as independents.