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

Ms Biswal will meet Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera , before meeting the newly elected Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. President Maithripala Sirisena will also meet the US official, The Sunday Times reported.

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.

Police spokesperson ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said that 21 suspects were arrested during the post election period.

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.