New Sri Lanka PM to be sworn in

New prime minister-elect Ranil Wickremesinghe

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Police in Sri Lanka have reimposed a nationwide curfew ahead of the inauguration of a new prime minister.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, returning to power after seven years, is scheduled to be sworn in late Sunday.

His United National Party won 109 seats, just short of a majority, but will form a majority after entering into an alliance with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, which took five of the 225 seats.

The election was Sri Lanka's bloodiest ever, leaving at least 60 people dead in related violence since the campaign began in October.

The soft-spoken Wickremesinghe, 52, faced criticism that he lacked the charisma of his rival, President Chandrika Kumaratunga, whose People's Alliance (PA) suffered a sharp setback in the election.

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The two held two hours of talks on Saturday beginning with smiles, a handshake and perfunctory greetings.

Details over the final makeup of the cabinet were not released but news of the UNP victory gave the stock exchange its largest percentage gain ever Friday.

Separatist warfare

Wickremesinghe favors reducing trade barriers to develop the economy, hit hard by an 18-year separatist guerrilla war that has killed more than 64,000 people.

Wickremesinghe promised to hold talks with the Tamil Tiger rebels, who have been fighting for a separate homeland for the country's Tamil minority.

He favors negotiations rather than Kumaratunga's military offensive.

Sri Lanka's elections were held on Wednesday

Critics note that it was under his 15-month leadership that the UNP, which had governed Sri Lanka for 17 years, lost power in 1994.

That election paved the way for Kumaratunga to become president and her People's Alliance to win control of Parliament.

According to the Associate Press news agency, the enmity between Wickremesinghe and Kumaratunga dates back decades, to when Kumaratunga's mother -- then leader of the government -- nationalized the Wickremesinghe family newspaper business.