Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga said that stern action would be taken against those who engage in politically motivated acts of violence after the April parliamentary election in which her freedom alliance emergedvictorious, the official Daily News reported on Saturday.

In a special message issued on Friday, President Kumaratunga warned that those intent upon taking vengeance from opponents on political grounds must refrain from any such action.

"Anybody who resorts to such action or anybody who instigates others to resort to such action will be vigorously dealt with according to the law, irrespective of the party, status, or position he holds. I have already given instructions to the relevant authorities in this regard," Kumaratunga said.

The president's warning came as the country is going to have its traditional new year which starts next week.

Kumaratunga said that she has come to know that certain extremist elements are now trying to prevent the continuation of the satisfactory atmosphere of peace her country has experienced during the election which is seen the most peaceful one in the history of the country.

"During this Sinhala-Hindu New Year season, let us make it our responsibility to host our political opponents with our traditional hospitality and enlist their participation in the development process instead of taking revenge," she said.

Kumaratunga's United People's Freedom Alliance defeated former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party in theparliamentary elections held last week but fell short of 113 seatsin the 225-member parliament to form its own government.

The new minority government with other small parties is to be sworn in later Saturday, local media reports said.

Source: Xinhua