Former Minister Milinda Moragoda yesterday called for a government of reconciliation and reconstruction in the aftermath of the national tsunami calamity.

Mr. Moragoda during a luncheon meeting insisted that such a government should be different from a national government that had been proposed from time to time and urged all parties to sacrifice , after society had paid the initial premium with thousands of lives lost and millions uprooted.

"We should ride on the crest of the wave of disaster to rebuild our nation on an altogether new paradigm", Mr Moragoda said, adding that everyone should come around to clear the mess and put the country back on track.

Stressing that divisiveness on the lines on race, religion and politics have been the ruin of the country, Mr Moragoda said this new spirit of sharing and concern for the victims should be sustained.

He said the international community which has stepped in, in a big way, to assist the nation in this hour of crisis would expect Sri Lanka to shed divisions at least in this dark hour and stressed that the darkness was closer to dawn.

"The people expect this from us. The international community expects this", Mr Moragoda said, urging politicians and political parties to transcend traditional parochial interests.

He however warned that politicians of all hues should come clean with pure hearts and form this government of reconciliation and reconstruction for a specified period of time on an agreed upon set of rules.