Colombo: The appointment of a new prime minister in Sri Lanka has failed to ease the anti-government protest demanding the president’s resignation amid the country’s disastrous economic crisis.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed veteran opposition politician Ranil Wickremesinghe as PM late on Thursday after a week of violent protests and clashes that left 9 people dead and over 300 injured.

The president’s elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, quit his prime ministerial position on Monday as the violence spiralled and is now hiding in a military base.

Protesters stated the appointment of a new PM will not help ease the wrath against the president, who they say is ultimately responsible for the worst economic crisis to hit the nation.