ISLAMABAD The transfer of power was very peaceful and cordial for the first time in the history of the country as President Asif Zardari on Monday willingly inked the historic 18th Constitutional Amendment, restoring the Parliamentary form of government. Apart from the typical PPP sloganeering, it was a highly formal and grandiose ceremony at the Presidency where President Zardari singed the amendment bill in the presence of Prime Minister Gilani, Mian Nawaz Sharif and other notable parliamentary leaders. Neither I used nor wanted these powers since I am a democratic and bound to go by the traditional of the PPP, the President answered a question after the singing ceremony. Asked whether he really believed that the amendment had closed the doors on dictatorship, he said, We have done so but you never know what would happen tomorrow as nobody knew about the volcano in Iceland, he added. It is my hope that the doors of dictatorship have been closed for ever, he said earlier while addressing the ceremony. Let no one think of subverting the Constitution, he added in an appealing tone. Gone also are the days when state institutions upheld the subversion of the Constitution, he said in a clear reference to judiciary. It is indeed a great honour for me to have signed into law this Bill that seeks to undo the undemocratic clauses introduced into the Constitution by undemocratic rulers, he said earlier during his speech. It shows that our political parties and leaders are capable of rising above petty partisan considerations, he added. Listing down the significant achievements by PPP government during the last two years or so, he said, The Constitutional reforms Bill that I have signed into law is the first major Constitutional reform package during the last more than thirty years. Now that we have achieved a milestone in Constitutional reformation and in giving rights to the provinces, we must devote our full time and attention to the problems of the common people. These are problems of loadshedding, unemployment, inflation and law and order, the President said appearing as a fatherly figure for the poor nation. He went on to say, I call upon all political parties and leaders that just as they joined hands to reform the Constitution, they should now join hands in the same spirit to find solutions to the problems of ordinary citizens. Earlier, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani addressing the ceremony said, Passing of 18th Constitutional Amendment Bill is indeed a historic success of parliamentary democracy and supremacy of Parliament, reflecting aspirations of the entire nation. Acknowledging the work of Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms under Chairman Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, the Prime Minister said it was a Herculean task to remove the distortions inserted in the Constitution during autocratic rules in the last few decades. According to the Prime Minister, the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment Bill is just the beginning towards establishment of a stable democratic polity in the country. Now, when we have successfully restored the democratic roadmap, it is time to work with renewed vigour and enthusiasm to address those challenges, which are confronting the common man. He claimed that the Government was already making every effort to overcome energy shortage, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, inadequate health facilities, and rural and regional backwardness. Unless basic needs of the common man are not catered for, a stable democratic polity will remain a mirage, he warned. Senator Rabbani while speaking on occasion rightly pointed out that the amendment has resolved the issue of provincial autonomy but to a certain extent only.