Diaspora organisations congratulated the Tamil National Alliance for securing 16 seats in Sri Lanka’s parliament at the August 18 general elections.

Congratulating the TNA, the British Tamil Conservatives (BTC), in a press release said,

“We are pleased the Tamils in the North and East have once again exercised their franchise in large numbers to endorse TNA's policies for truth, justice and a lasting solution to the Tamil National question based on Tamil people's longstanding and legitimate aspiration of right to self-determination.”

The British Tamil Conservatives added,

“We extend our best wishes to the newly elected members of parliament and hope the parliamentary party working hand in hand with the Northern Provincial Council led by Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran will seek to address the urgent existential issues of the Tamils and successfully navigate the new political environment in Sri Lanka to achieve a permanent solution to the Tamil National question.”

The Global Tamil Forum, congratulating the TNA, in a press release said,

“As an organization that has worked with the TNA for several years, we seek the full support of the international community, including India, to help implement the legitimate demands of the Tamil people through a negotiated political solution.”

The European Union Election Observation Mission to Sri Lanka has praised the way the elections in Sri Lanka were conducted, but said an ally of the ruling UNP was behind violent incidents in the North-East and expressed criticism on issues of campaigning freedoms, representation of women and media ownership, in their preliminary statement.

In the Northern Province, the ACMC, an ally of the ruling UNP, is confirmed to have been behind violent incidents against competitors. There were also several reports of intimidation and obstruction of campaign activities at Kayts Island, part of the Jaffna electoral district, the EU further said.

The mission noted that although freedom of assembly and movement were respected in the run up to the election, overly restrictive rules curbed freedom of campaigning. Powers given to the Election Commissioner, who administered the elections in a "transparent and impartial manner", challenged media freedoms, including his ability to order state-owned media outlets to halt broadcasts.

The US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Nisha Biswal is due to arrive in Sri Lanka on an official visit on Tuesday.

The election monitoring group PAFFREL says that the North-East has seen the highest number of post-election violence on the island.

However, Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi  also stated that there was no increase in violence compared to previous elections.

The leader of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), Gajen Ponnambalam has congratulated the Tamil National Alliance on their victories in the general election and has offered his party’s support for any future efforts in reaching a political federal solution for the Tamil people.

Speaking to journalists at the Jaffna Press Club, Mr Ponnambalam said that despite challenges faced by the party, TNPF would not be wavering from their party line.

“Tamil nationalism must be preserved,” Mr Ponnambalam said, “protecting this nationalism is not terrorism. We have not changed our view that what is happening to the Tamil nation today is genocide. We are continuing to work to protect the Tamil nation.”

The Tamil National Alliance will use their election victories to push for a political solution for Tamils according to senior members.

In a special ‘victory statement’, the newly elected MP M. A. Sumanthiran said that he would uphold the mandate given him by the people, “while spending every breath to reach a political solution for our national problem, I will also participate in fulfilling the immediate needs of the people and in strengthening our youth.”

“The Tamil people cannot face anymore losses,” Mr Sumanthiran said. “Our youth can no longer be destroyed in their masses.”

The party leader, R Sampanthan also said that the TNA would waste no time in pushing for a political solution based on its election manifesto.

Tamil detainees in Anuradhapura prison have gone on hunger strike, in protest at mistreatment after the election results were announced and demanding a transfer to prisons near their native towns in the Tamil regions of the island.

The 49 detainees were locked in a small cell and were refused access to sanitary facilities and were given small tin cans to relieve themselves.