Vote count begins in Sri Lanka's Tamil north

Balloting has closed on time after ethnic Tamil voters in Sri Lanka's war-ravaged north went to the polls to form their first functioning provincial government.

Saturday's elections were seen by the United Nations and the world community as a crucial test of reconciliation between Tamils and the majority ethnic Sinhalese, who control the government and military.

Al Jazeera's Nidhi Dutt reports from Jaffna, northern Sri Lanka.