For a politician who resigned his Cabinet portfolio Milinda Moragoda is a rarity. In this interview he talks of a vision to salvage the country and blames all politicians for ruining the country.

Question:- At the outset of negotiations with the LTTE you were considered a member of the inner circle. But, after you arranged for the preliminary round of aid in Washington, relations with LTTE soured. What part did you play in this strategy?

A:- I don't think that there was an inner circle or outer circle. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed a negotiating team: Minister G.L.Pieris as the team leader, Minister Rauff Hakeem, Peace Secretariat Head Bernard Gunathilake and myself. So, we played our roles when necessary.

We have a dedicated peace secretariat to cater to the process for the first time in the history. The PM's idea was that the peace process should go on regardless of politics and there should be an independent secretariat with an institutional memory providing necessary services to the negotiating team.

Politicians come and go. The Secretariat and the team were making efforts to bring about a solid solution to the country's major problem running for over 20 years. So, there is no inner circle or outer circle.

Q:- The peace process was a triumvirate affair- the PM, Minister Pieris and yourself. Was this not the cause for its breakdown?

A:- No, the problem is that we play politics with the lives of poor young people. Just look at the cost of this war. It is not being borne by the elite of Colombo but by the children of the poor in the South or North-East. We exchange charges or play political football with the lives of poor young people. The peace process should be a matter outside politics and the day we have maturity to do that will be the only day that we will resolve this problem.

We make charges, the opposition makes charges and I feel that this is the cause of this situation. Successfully we have ruined this country collectively over the past 50 years since independence by playing political football with the lives of our youth. Our Prime Minister's effort was to change this and to create a new culture. However, it will not be so easy to change.

Q:- If the UPFA wins the next election do you think the UNF will remain on board negotiating the peace process?

A:- It is up to the people to decide on April 02 who should govern this country. The Prime Minister always acts responsibly when it comes to matters of national interest. The UNF will be acting so even in the future.

Q:- What led to your resignation from the Cabinet of Ministers?

A:- The decision came when I felt again that we were playing politics with all these things, removing ministers, removing institutions and so on. I was comfortable acting according to my conscience. I wanted to go with the Prime Minister's view and my right conscience directed me to do so.

Q:- Are you privy to any plans to topple a future UPFA government?

A:- At first we must see who forms the next government before we talk about any plans to topple a government or not to. It is a part of the problem again in our country's political culture. Everybody is very interested in sitting on chairs and occupying positions. But I am not quite sure whether we know what to do when you are there.

When you are in the Opposition you are trying to get to a chair in government. Once you get there you are not sure what you are doing. Again I find that there is a big difference between what politicians are thinking today and what the people are thinking.

People are not interested in who occupies which chair and who is doing what and they want only their problems solved. And the sooner, I think our politicians realise that the better. People know that they have only power politics or power politicians and they have had enough of it. We need to change this attitude.

Q:- Expectations are that the UNF will win in Colombo Municipal area but will lose overall in Colombo district. Your comments.

A:- It is again up to the people to decide. I am not somebody who believes in speculations and not arrogant to think that I should speculate on what the people decide on April 2. We have done our best in the last two years and are doing our best to explain to the people what we have done. Therefore, I think that people should decide and not you, me or anybody else.

Q:- will you support the impeachment of the President?

A:- All this is political football. Frankly I am not anyhow interested in. At the end of the day, what we have to look forward to is how do we develop the country and how do we work together for a better society etc.

Those are the issues that should be considered. People are not interested in who is impeaching whom or who is saying what.

The young are interested in job opportunities, parents are worried over good education opportunities to their children, a satisfactory health service and especially having lasting peace in the country. These are the issues at the elections. But, we have politicians who play ping pong at another level. We must talk about the people are interested in.

Q:- You played a major role in the peace process. Has it eroded your voter base?

A:- I don't think so. Why don't you wait and see what's the people's jurisdiction on April 02. I am not somebody who sits here and count the heads. However, I believe in the people who elected me and the UNF 2 years ago to carry out a mandate. Whether my voter base is eroded and somebody has won someone else's voter base are not the issues.

These may interest the media and may be politicians too. Anyhow, not the people. All of us here have got caught in our own work. I have travelled round this country and nobody is interested in the present Constitution. They want their problems solved.

One of these days they are going to throw everybody out saying they have had enough.

And I think they will be right. Because, we are so busy in trying to fight about who sits in which chair and we have completely forgotten the reality.

Q:- Allegations came from the Opposition against the UNF's privatisation process. Do you like to comment on this?

A:- Today, there are no ideological differences between the two major political parties in the country. When it comes to the peace process, when it comes to economic development both parties basically have the same vision. That is how the world runs today and you can't change it. There is only one direction. So, one party wants to come to power and another wants to stay in power. Then, we start fighting and finally somebody sits on the chair. I don't believe it will be very different from the other. Anyhow, I believe that the UNF can manage the process as we have the right vision.

Everybody is making allegations. All the political parties are doing the same thing for its counterpart. If you look at the past seven - eight years, those are full of allegations.

Q:- What would be your message to the public and your voter base?

A:- My basic emphasis is that the political culture of the country has to be changed. We have to focus more on solving problems by having a national policy. Everything should not be politicised and most things should be handled out of politics. A letter of an MP or Minister to send a child to a school etc should not be in political agendas.

Further, I am not somebody who seeks popularity and popularity is for other professions. Instead of popularity, I am respected by people. I have worked for the country as a politician with a right vision and people are free to make their decision on April 2.