Analysts say Mr Wickramasinghe's list of ministers looks like a compromise to please every faction of the United National Front.

BBC: Sri Lanka cabinet finally sworn in

Since Mr Dissanayake defected to the United National Front before the elections, he has been one of the president's fiercest critics.

BBC: Sri Lanka cabinet finally sworn in

But a complicating factor is that his party is allied to Funcinpec through the National United Front, formed early last year.

CNN: A VOTE FOR PEACE

The exact margin of victory could prove important, however, and could potentially leave Mr. Najib vulnerable to a leadership challenge from within the United Malays National Organization, the main party in the National Front.

WSJ: Malaysian Prime Minister Wins Election

Yet his 13-party United Front coalition could not agree on a host of national issues.

CNN: Gujral Walks a Tightrope

By forging a united front, the Kurds will bolster their strength in the national assembly in Baghdad (where they may even hold the balance) and secure a key spot in Iraq's post-election constitutional debate.

ECONOMIST: Iraq's Kurds

Yet popularity alone cannot guarantee Mr. Najib's survival as head of the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), the party that forms the linchpin of the National Front.

WSJ: Michael Vatikiotis: Seeds of Change in Kuala Lumpur