Michel Martelly was sworn in as Haiti's new president on Saturday, officially taking over the huge task of leading the country through a host of daunting challenges, Xinhua reported.
The inauguration ceremony was held in front of the collapsed National Palace, a symbol of the massive earthquake that killed at least 250,000 people and devastated the impoverished Caribbean nation last year.
A military band played a march when Martelly appeared at the scene with his wife, and a large crowd of supporters greeted the new president with loud cheers.
Among the attendants were former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who is also U.N. special envoy to Haiti, and Edmond Mulet, head of the U.N. Mission in Haiti.
Martelly, widely known as "Sweet Mickey," defeated former first lady Mirlande Manigat with a landslide victory in the presidential runoff in March.
During his campaign, the 50-year-old former popular singer pledged to build new houses, promote economic development, universalize education for children and enhance the capabilities of the armed forces.