India welcomes Sri Lanka provincial poll results

India Tuesday welcomed the successful holding of provincial elections in Sri Lanka sep 21 that saw the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) emerge victorious in the Northern Province Council.

In a statement, the external affairs ministry said India also looks forward to the Sri Lankan government implementing "other important commitments made to the international community, including full implementation of the 13thAmendment and going beyond it".

The TNA won 30 out of 38 seats - 28 direct and 2 bonus seats - while ruling United People's Freedom Front (UPFA) bagged seven seats and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) won one seat.

The statement said the "high voter turnout and the enthusiastic participation of various political parties demonstrate the continuing commitment of the people of Sri Lanka to democratic values and elections for representative bodies at various levels, including the Provincial Councils".

It said India has "noted the positive statements made by the TNA and the Government of Sri Lanka. It is indeed a matter of satisfaction that they have expressed willingness to work with each other for the progress of the people of the Northern Province".

India urged both sides "to engage constructively, in a spirit of partnership and mutual accommodation, so that the urgent needs of the people of the Northern Province, which has recently emerged from the throes of a 30-year long armed conflict, are addressed with a sense of urgency and purpose.

"Only such a cooperative approach will pave the way for genuine reconciliation between the communities involved," it said.

India is "committed to working with both the sides to further this process, so that all communities in Sri Lanka, including the minorities, can feel that they are equal stakeholders in a united Sri Lanka and can look forward to a future marked by equality, justice, dignity and self-respect".