Modi Kerry applaud Lanka’s peaceful and democratic polls

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US Secretary of State John Kerry conveyed their support to Sri Lanka’s new president Maithripala Sirisena and lauded the peaceful elections.

Modi called up Maithripala Sirisena to congratulate him on his victory in the Sri Lankan polls on Friday. He assured Sirisena of India’s continued solidarity and support to the country’s peace and development.

“I spoke to Shri Maithripala Sirisena and congratulated him. I congratulate the people of Sri Lanka on the peaceful and democratic poll process,” Modi said. He added that as a close friend and neighbour, India’s reaffirms its continued solidarity and support for Sri Lanka’s peace, development and prosperity.

Modi also invited the new president to visit India.

The US Secretary of State John Kerry said he looked forward to working with Sirisena, and also commended outgoing President Mahinda Rajapaksa for accepting the election results.

With final result yet to be declared, Sirisena is expected to be declared winner by around 4,00,000 votes. Sri Lankans had on Thursday voted in large numbers in the bitterly contested presidential election in the biggest political shake-up in over a decade.

Rajapaksa had called the election two years ahead of schedule, hoping to win a record third six-year term before the defeat of the Tamil Tigers fades in the memory of the people of the island which saw a three decades war over the demand of a separate Tamil Eelam.

There was an unusual high voter turn-out for the elections held yesterday. “The Sri Lankan people deserve great credit on the successful conclusion of their elections. They turned out in great numbers to exercise their democratic rights and every vote was a victory for Sri Lanka,” Kerry said.

“The United States applauds the Sri Lankan Elections Commissioner, the security forces, Sri Lankan civil society, and the candidates themselves for making sure this election was not marred by unrest and for ensuring a significant drop in campaign-related violence. It will be important for that effort to continue in the coming days,” he added. 

(With inputs from PTI)