Ruling Naga People's Front (NPF) MLA Imtiwapang Aier was on Tuesday elected as the new Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
Aier was elected unopposed on the first day of the budget session, which began here on Tuesday.
His name was proposed by Ministers P Longon and Y Vikheho Swu and seconded by Minister Chotisuh Sazo and Parliamentary Secretaries Levi Rengma and Khriehu Liezietsu.
Deputy Speaker, Imtikumzuk while announcing that there was no other nominations for the post of the Speaker, declared Aier elected unopposed.
The Speaker's post was vacant after the then Speaker Chotisuh Sazo was inducted as Cabinet Minister for Public Health Engineering by the new Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu on February 22 last.
Aier was elected to the assembly in the 2013 state elections on a Congress ticket from Impur constituency under Mokokchung district.
However, he along with seven other Congress MLAs merged with ruling NPF in November 2015 when T R Zeliang was the Chief Minister. Zeliang had appointed him Parliamentary Secretary for Geology and Mining.
Aier is also the first Speaker among the Ao Naga community.
The chief minister while felicitating the newly elected Speaker, expressed confidence that he would prove himself equal to the task and maintain the dignity and of decorum of the chair.
Liezietsu also hoped that the new Speaker would be able to handle his duties and responsibilities not only inside the House but also at various national and international level functions and also definitely dispense justice to all the members in course of deliberation and debate in the House.
In his acceptance speech, the new Speaker conveyed profound gratitude to all the members of the August House for electing him to the dignified office.
"I am aware of the onerous responsibility of the office for which I am called upon to shoulder," Aier said.