Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-29 00:23:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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COLOMBO, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka said on Wednesday that a process to draft a new constitution is moving forward.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said while addressing an event that the constitution drafting process is nearing a crucial stage where a consensus will be sought.

The prime minister said that one of the issues which needs to be addressed is how the country will operate without weakening the powers of the central government for an emergency while strengthening the forms of parliamentary governance.

The prime minister said drafting a new constitution is a long process but a process which builds consensus.

"In many areas we have reached a consensus especially on devolution of powers and the nature of the state," he said.

He says there is agreement that the state cannot be divided and that sovereignty is in the hands of the people.

The prime minister also noted that there is a division between chief ministers of the provinces in Sri Lanka and the parliament on the proposed constitution with the chief ministers wanting more powers under the new Constitution and Parliament not agreeing to it.

He also said that to a large extent there is an agreement on the electoral system with support being given to a mixed proportional system.

The Sri Lanka's parliament has been tasked with drafting the new constitution in an attempt to address several issues the country has faced in the past.