<p>Rajapaksa, who turned 65 yesterday, was sworn in at a colourful open air ceremony held at the sea front, by the chief justice Ashoka D Silva.<br /><br />The Sri Lankan leader who led the country's triumph over 30 year-old-insurgency was reelected President by an overwhelming majority in the January 26 elections.<br />He called the election two years early to cash in a soaring ratings in the wake of last year's military victory over the Tamil Tiger.<br /><br />In September, Rajapaksa government passed an amendment to the constitution to eliminate term limits for the presidency.<br /><br />A tri-service march past by thousands of troops marked the ceremony which was telecast live and the Lankan capital wore a festive look for the occasion for which a public holiday had been declared.<br /><br />Security was tight for the ceremony in the capital which was boycotted by the opposition United National Party and the Marxist-Leftist JVP, both backers of the defeated candidate and former army chief Sarath Fonseka.<br /><br />"We take this decision to mark our protest to the exhorbitantly expensive ceremony," deputy leader of the UNP Karu Jayasuriya said.<br /><br />In his second reincarnation, a powerful Rajapaksa has said he wants to turn his island nation into a "wonder of Asia" and has announced a series of infrastructure projects, including a USD 1.5-billion port built by the Chinese in his hometown of Hambantota which he inaugurated yesterday.<br /><br />"When I came to power I promised an honourable peace and a new Sri Lanka and I will keep my promise," Rajapakse said at the opening ceremony.<br /><br />While pursuing development, he has shrugged off pressures by the West to link investments to human rights and turned to countries like Iran, Libya and China for help.<br /><br />He also rejected allegations that the Sri Lankan army may have been responsible for substantial civilian deaths during its final offensive against the LTTE and dismissed calls for a international investigations into possible war crimes.</p>
<p>Rajapaksa, who turned 65 yesterday, was sworn in at a colourful open air ceremony held at the sea front, by the chief justice Ashoka D Silva.<br /><br />The Sri Lankan leader who led the country's triumph over 30 year-old-insurgency was reelected President by an overwhelming majority in the January 26 elections.<br />He called the election two years early to cash in a soaring ratings in the wake of last year's military victory over the Tamil Tiger.<br /><br />In September, Rajapaksa government passed an amendment to the constitution to eliminate term limits for the presidency.<br /><br />A tri-service march past by thousands of troops marked the ceremony which was telecast live and the Lankan capital wore a festive look for the occasion for which a public holiday had been declared.<br /><br />Security was tight for the ceremony in the capital which was boycotted by the opposition United National Party and the Marxist-Leftist JVP, both backers of the defeated candidate and former army chief Sarath Fonseka.<br /><br />"We take this decision to mark our protest to the exhorbitantly expensive ceremony," deputy leader of the UNP Karu Jayasuriya said.<br /><br />In his second reincarnation, a powerful Rajapaksa has said he wants to turn his island nation into a "wonder of Asia" and has announced a series of infrastructure projects, including a USD 1.5-billion port built by the Chinese in his hometown of Hambantota which he inaugurated yesterday.<br /><br />"When I came to power I promised an honourable peace and a new Sri Lanka and I will keep my promise," Rajapakse said at the opening ceremony.<br /><br />While pursuing development, he has shrugged off pressures by the West to link investments to human rights and turned to countries like Iran, Libya and China for help.<br /><br />He also rejected allegations that the Sri Lankan army may have been responsible for substantial civilian deaths during its final offensive against the LTTE and dismissed calls for a international investigations into possible war crimes.</p>