Sight-seers throng Sri Lanka's ransacked presidential palace amid political chaos

The political chaos could complicate efforts to pull Sri Lanka out of its worst economic crisis in seven decades

Sri Lankans roamed through the ransacked presidential palace on Sunday as calm returned to Colombo a day after protesters stormed the building and forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to agree to resign, Qazet.az reports.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also said he would step down to allow an all-party interim government to take over, with Rajapaksa scheduled to quit on July 13, according to the speaker of parliament.

The political chaos could complicate efforts to pull Sri Lanka out of its worst economic crisis in seven decades, triggered by a severe shortage of foreign currency that has stalled the imports of essentials such as fuel, food and medicines.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has been in talks with the Sri Lankan government for a possible $3 billion bailout, said on Sunday it was monitoring events closely.