Sri Lanka's prime minister calls for patience as protests continue

FILE PHOTO: Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa reacts during his swearing in ceremony as the new Prime Minister, at Kelaniya Buddhist temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 9, 2020. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday said the country had reached a decisive juncture and called for patience as protests continued over the government's handling of a deepening economic crisis.

In a televised address, Rajapaksa said that the government, which is led by his younger brother Gotabaya, will bring back a fertiliser subsidy for farmers, who were badly hit by a ban on the product last year that was later rolled back.