Salmond confirmed as First Minister
Executive to be minority government
SNP leader Alex Salmond MSP was today confirmed as First Minister to lead the Scottish Executive for the next four years.
Mr Salmond will receive the Royal Warrant from the Queen before taking the official oath of allegiance in front of a panel of judges at the Court of Session tomorrow. He will lead a minority administration, the first since the Scottish Parliament was created, with the support of two Green MSPs.
Each of the four main party leaders was nominated for the office, with Conservative leader Annabel Goldie and Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen being eliminated after the first ballot. In the second round Mr Salmond received 49 votes to Labour leader and serving First Minister Jack McConnell's 46, with 33 abstentions, and was declared elected by the new Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson.
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