Sirisena sworn-in as Sri Lanka's new president

Maithripala Sirisena on Friday promised to mend ties with the international community after being sworn-in as Sri Lanka's new President following a stunning victory in the polls that brought the curtains down on the 10-year rule of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Sirisena, 63, and his new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who till now was the leader of opposition, both took the oath of office in the Independence Square, marking a smooth transition of power.

Supreme Court Justice K Sripavan administered the oath to Sirisena.

"I will ensure I deliver the change I promised. I will strengthen Sri Lanka's foreign relations to maintain friendly relations with all nations," he said.

"We will have a foreign policy that will mend our ties with the international community and all international organisations in order that we derive maximum benefit for our people," Sirisena said he will not seek a second term.

Wickremesinghe, 61, had met Rajapaksa in the morning when he conceded defeat and gave an assurance of smooth transition of power.

Sirisena was officially elected as the sixth President of Sri Lanka by Commissioner of Elections Mahinda Deshapriya.

Much before the declaration, Rajapaksa, who was accused of practising politics of dynasty, conceded defeat early in the morning and left the presidential house 'Temple Trees'. After his victory, Sirisena thanked Rajapaksa for ensuring a fair poll.

Sirisena took strong lead from the ethnic Tamil-dominated and Muslims-dominated areas.

The Tamils, who account for 13 per cent, angered by Rajapaksa's successful military campaign that crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam voted for the opposition unity candidate Sirisena.

In the run up to the election, Sirisena had pledged to abolish the executive presidency within 100 days of being elected, repeal the controversial 18th amendment under which a President can seek re-election any number of times, re-instate the 17th amendment.

Sirisena and Wickremesinghe on Thursday formed the New Democratic Front, a broad coalition of Sinhala majority, Tamil and Muslim minority parties.

Image: Sri Lanka's newly elected president Mithripala Sirisena waves at media as he leaves election commission in Colombo. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa lost his bid for a third term on Friday, after opposition candidate Sirisena, a one-time ally of Rajapaksa who defected in November and derailed what the president thought would be an easy win, took 51.3 percent of the votes polled in Thursday's election. Dinuka Liyanawatte/ Reuters