A Sri Lankan political party associated with the defunct Tamil Tiger rebels has won a majority of local council elections in the former war zones of the island nation.

The Tamil National Alliance won control of 20 of the 25 councils it contested in the Tamil majority north and east on Saturday.

President Mahainda Rajapaksa's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance won five councils.

Election monitors say there were several reports of acts of intimidation, assaults, and cash for votes during the election.