The UK will remain committed to delivering reconciliation and peace across Sri Lanka said the British Foreign Secretary whilst congratulating Ranil Wickremesinghe on his election as prime minister.

The Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, in a statement made on Wednesday, said, 

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, welcoming "peaceful elections" called on Sri Lanka’s new government to “make further progress” on issues of accountability and reconciliation.

In a statement released on Tuesday the Secretary general said,

The head of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party in Tamil Nadu urged Sri Lanka’s newly elected parliament to find a permanent solution to the issues faced by Tamils on the island, reports Times of India.

Noting that the 16 seats secured by the Tamil National Alliance would be influential in Sri Lanka’s parliament, M Karunanudhi, said,

The US State Department spokesperson John Kirby, welcomed Sri Lanka’s new parliament  and commended Sri Lanka’s peaceful parliamentary elections.

In a press briefing on Tuesday Mr Kirby, said,

“The United States looks forward to working with President Sirisiena, the prime minister, and the new government.”

Fitch Ratings, a global economic rating agency, called on Sri Lanka’s new government to offer greater clarity over its economic policy on Wednesday.

Commenting on the election of a new government, the Fitch Ratings press release said,

“The establishment of a new government with a clear electoral mandate following parliamentary elections on 17 August, should mitigate some political uncertainty, though the direction of economic policy and the stability of the likely coalition remain unclear.”

The governor of Sri Lanka’s Central bank, Arjuna Mahendran, told the Financial Times that he would double foreign exchange reserves as the first step towards full currency liberation.

Labelling existing restrictions on the Sri Lankan rupee as “draconian” Mr Mahendran said the new government would seek to implement new legislation that looked to “slash” exchange controls via new legislation.

Speaking to the Financial Times Mr Mahendran said,

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has rejected a report by UK based charity Freedom From Torture, which detailed cases of torture that continues under the present Sri Lankan government.

“We cannot accept such claims,” said the Legal Secretary and Media Spokesman of the HRCSL Nimal Punchihewa.

“HRCSL officials visit Sri Lankan prisons on regular basis but no incident of torture has been reported and we have not received any complaints,” he added.

He went on to tell The Sunday Leader that HRCSL officials visit prisons once a month and denied they had received complaints of torture. He also denied arrests were continuing to take place under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Updated 22:00 BST

Results from the Tamil-dominated North-East reveal an overwhelming victory for the Tamil National Alliance.

Receiving the greatest number of votes in Jaffna, Vanni and Batticaloa, the TNA has secured 16 parliamentary seats, which places it as the third biggest party in Sri Lanka.

As the results of the preferential votes come through, in the Jaffna district, S Sritharan received 72,158 votes, Mavai Senathirajah 58,782 votes, M A Sumanthiran 58,043 votes, Siddarththan 53,743 votes and E Saravanabavan 43,719 votes.

In comparison to the 2010 parliamentary election results, initial results in the predominantly Tamil speaking regions indicate a rise in support for the TNA and Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), which both agreed on the necessity for an international accountability process into Sri Lanka's mass atrocities.

See Tamil election pledges below:

TNA manifesto calls for constitutional change that accepts Tamil right to self-determination (25 Jul 2015)

TNPF calls for internationally mediated political solution acknowledging 'two sovereign nations' in one country (14 August 2015)

International investigation is essential agree Tamil political parties across North-East (02 August 2015)

Wigneswaran urges Tamils to vote for 'justice, homeland and self-determination’ (14 August 2015)

In a letter to Tamil donors, the Tamil National Alliance spokesperson, Suresh Premachandran, thanked the diaspora for its support and said he would ensure a further “international investigation” into the findings of the UN investigation into Sri Lanka's mass atrocities, whilst also raising awareness in the international community about the “Tamil genocide.”

Urging donors to speak to their friends and families in “our Tamil Eelam,” Mr Premachandran pledged further to stop “unpatriotic Tamil MPs who beg appeasement from the Sri Lankan Sinhala government.”

The run up to the elections saw the ruling UNF majority Sinhala coalition and the UPFA Sinhala majority opposition reject Tamil demands for fully devolved federalism, acknowledgement of the Tamil right to self-determination, de-militarisation of the North-East and international justice mechanisms.

Speaking on BBC World News, Tamil Guardian's Sutharshan Sukumaran, said that as with previous elections, "the full spectrum of Sinhala majority parties have rejected Tamil demands in the run up to elections."

The ruling UNP coalition managed to secure 106 seats, making it 7 seats short of an overall majority. The current parliamentary set up once again places the TNA as kingmakers in allowing a future UNP led parliament to carry out its proposed forms. 

In the run up to the elections the TNA in the event of such an outcome, pledged to use its leverage in parliament to secure a political solution for the Tamil people in the North-East.

 All island cumulative results