Karunanidhi hopes for permanent solution to national question

The president of Dravida Munnetra Kazhaga (DMK) M Karunanidhi today congratulated Ranil Wickremesinghe for his victory in the Sri Lanka parliamentary elections and hoped the Tamil National Alliance win in North and East provinces would give rise to a situation for a permanent solution to travails of Tamils. Wickremesinghe's United National Party won a total of 106 seats in the 225-member Assembly, falling short of an absolute majority by seven seats but enough to form a government. Rajapaksa's United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) came second with 95 seats while minority Tamil National Alliance swept the ethnic Tamil-majority Northern and Eastern provinces with 16 seats. "Tamil National Alliance emerging as the third-largest party is an important turning point in this election. After this election, Wickremesinghe is all set to become Prime Minister again. On behalf of DMK I extend my greetings to him", Karunanidhi said in a statement. Karunanidhi said, "with the Tamil National Alliance win in the election we can hope that a situation has arisen for finding a permanent solution to the travails of Eelam Tamils". "I express my desire that suitable decisions will be taken in the Parliament in which Tamils living in Sri Lanka would lead a peaceful life and have equal rights.", he said.