Somalia's parliament swore in Nur Hassan Hussein as prime minister yesterday, hoping to bolster an interim government weakened by months of political deadlock and battles against insurgents.

The parliament almost unanimously voted to endorse President Abdulallhi Yusuf's nomination for premier in Baidoa, the southern trading town where Somalia's assembly sits.

"I promise that I will perform my duties honestly and respect the interim federal charter, and I ask the parliament to support me and correct me if I go wrong," Hussein told lawmakers moments after he was sworn in. Yusuf urged the Italian-trained lawyer and long-serving Somali Red Crescent officer to quickly form a new cabinet.

"I am optimistic that the Government will fulfil its obligations in the two years left for us," Yusuf told parliament. The president announced Hussein's nomination on Thursday, three weeks after his unpopular predecessor quit, caving into pressure over a feud with Yusuf and criticism over a lack of progress in building the transitional government. Seen as a neutral political figure, Hussein's challenge lies in bringing unity to Somalia where one million people have been uprooted by fighting between Islamist insurgents and government troops, backed by the Ethiopian military.

Many Somalis are waiting to see if Hussein will seek talks with the anti-Ethiopian insurgents to end the conflict - punctuated by almost daily roadside bombings, grenade attacks and shootings - that has killed thousands this year.