Key members of Sri Lanka's ruling party want PM Ranil Wickremesinghe as president, no decision yet: Source

Key members of Sri Lanka's ruling party are keen to back Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as their presidential nominee though no decision has been taken yet, a top ruling party source told Reuters on Wednesday.

The source said on condition of anonymity that the members met on Tuesday evening and their "overwhelming consensus" was for Wickremesinghe to replace President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has fled to the Maldives after protesters stormed his residence on Saturday.

Protesters have also demanded the ouster of Wickremesinghe, who himself has offered to resign as prime minister to make way for a unity government.