President says he is ready to devolve more powers to PCs

President Maithripala Sirisena today said that as a further step of decentralizing powers, he is willing to devolve more powers to other provinces  which are willing to work for the interests and betterments of the country. "I assumed duties as the President not to centralize powers but to share it."

Addressing the 32nd conference of the Provincial Chief Ministers in Hikkaduwa today, he pointed out that  if any one opposes this concept of devolution, it could be described as a characteristic of a person from an under developed society. "All the developed countries in the world which have achieved highest development in the world, have secured such development only through sharing of power based on regional basis."

According to the state radio, President also noted the importance of the government and the provincial councils to act in understanding, upholding to fulfill their common objectives for the benefit of the nation.

"Today the attention of intellectuals and educated personnel in politics is focused not on to accumulate power but to distribute it. This is not by any means a weak concept. " he said.

Recalling  how he devolved power to the provincial ministers, while functioning as the Minister of Agriculture and Health in the past, President Sirisena said that he has set an example to the country in decentralizing power with introducing the 19th amendment last year.