Colombo: Sri Lanka's former Opposition leader Mahinda Rajapakse was today (Apr 6, 2004) sworn in as Prime Minister amid growing tensions within his shaky Freedom Alliance coalition party.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed Rajapakse, 58, to lead a minority government after heated debates among constituent parties of the Freedom Alliance as to who should get the top post in Parliament.

Kumaratunga's main leftist ally, the JVP or People's Liberation Front, was backing former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar to be the premier and opposed Rajapakse who had earlier clashed openly with the JVP.

"At one point there were very serious splits that threatened to come out into the open," an aide of Rajapakse said. "Now the compromise is that he gets the Prime Minister job plus one Ministry."

Sri Lanka's post of Prime Minister is largely ceremonial, it is an additional portfolio that gives the Prime Minister a subject to handle. In this case, Rajapakse has been promised the relatively minor Highways Ministry.

The key JVP members boycotted the hurriedly summoned swearing in ceremony, but a JVP legislator showed up after the ceremony was almost over, witnesses said.

The ceremony itself was held by a small meeting room of the sprawling Presidential Secretariat whereas Kumaratunga had sworn in the previous Government at her imposing President's House.