Central Province Governor Sarath Abayakoon to resign on July 21

Central Province Governor Professor Sarath Abayakoon has announced his decision to step down from his post on July 21, saying the move was based solely on personal reasons and was not due to any external pressure. Speaking to the media yesterday, after the Kandy District Development Committee meeting, held at the Kandy District Secretariat, Prof. Abayakoon said no one had pressured him to resign and that the decision had been under consideration for some time. He said his resignation had been delayed due to his responsibilities in serving the public, particularly during natural disasters, such as ‘Ditwah’. Prof. Abayakoon said he had informed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake when he assumed office that he intended to hold the gubernatorial position only for a limited period. “Therefore, I must reiterate that this decision was taken purely due to personal reasons,” he said. Responding to a query from a journalist on whether July 21 would be his final day in office, the Governor confirmed that he had officially informed the President of his intention to relinquish the post on that date. Text and Pic by SK Samaranayake