In pictures: Link-up with voters in Sri Lanka

The main challenges facing us are economic. But, when it comes to the ethnic question, Ranil Wickramasinghe has offered us Tamils some hope – he has promised to resume peace talks and offered power-sharing.

Normally, we would have gladly voted for Mahinda. He is left-leaning, his policies are appealing. But he appears to have regressed in his approach to the ethnic issue.

Short of war, the only way Tamil people can resolve this is through talks.