Interview: "I Stand for Peace"

As

the former Prime Minister who agreed to a cease-fire with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (L.T.T.E.), Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe, of the right-of-center opposition United National Party, has been accused by Sri Lankan nationalists of being a soft touch on terrorism. He spoke to TIME's Alex Perry as he toured the northern Sri Lankan military base at Palaly on the edge of Tiger territory.

TIME: What do you make of [political opponent Mahinda] Rajapakse's hard-line approach to the peace process?
Ranil Wickremsinghe: He has no solution. And if you don't go for a solution, you will inevitably go back to war. He has become a prisoner of the JVP [the extremist Marxist-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna, with whom Rajapakse is allied]. What can you expect from him? He has joined the warmongers. I stand for a better life for the people of this country. Which means peace and development.

TIME: Some say Sri Lanka is already back at war.
RW: We are not back at war. We have had cease-fire violations, but we're not back at war. [Gestures at a group of soldiers ambling nearby]. Do you think you'd see soldiers walking like that if there was a war?

TIME: But there has been a serious deterioration in security.
RW: It is a serious deterioration. Killings have gone up. Senior people on all sides are being killed. It's a very, very serious situation and it shouldn't have come to this. The tsunami had a healing effect, but the JVP played politics and the government could not utilize that popular sentiment.

TIME: Do you think the Tamil Tigers will make good on their threats to resume fighting?
RW: The L.T.T.E.'s mood is one of frustration. If the Tamils and the L.T.T.E. feel they have no other option, then we will slide towards crisis. If we try to go back on what has been agreed, it will be a major crisis.

TIME: Can the situation be saved?
RW: It can be saved. It will take two to three years to bring about peace. That's why I have asked the S.L.F.P. [Rajapakse's Sri Lanka Freedom Party] to work with me in a government of national unity. Then we will all be winners.

TIME: Given the fractious history of Sri Lankan politics, isn't that a little optimistic?
RW: It'll be tough, I don't underestimate it. It'll be a change of culture for Sri Lankan politics and a change of destiny for Sri Lanka. The political forces in Sri Lanka are polarized in a way that has not been seen for a long time. But I don't think the people are polarized in that way. And [changing our politics] won't be as tough as war. Besides, what are the other options? Are we going to start fighting again? We have got to move forward, and to do that we need to share power.