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Salmond officially first minister | |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Alex Salmond has been officially sworn in as first minister of Scotland at a brief legal ceremony. | |
The SNP leader took the oath of office at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, watched by 15 senior judges. | |
The event, administered by Lord President, Lord Hamilton, took just a few minutes. | |
Mr Salmond then went on to a meeting of the Scottish Parliament, where MSPs were asked to endorse his cabinet, announced after he was voted in. | |
The changes will see Mr Salmond joined in cabinet by five cabinet secretaries, each presiding over their own departments and ministers. | |
Silver seal | |
In total there will be 16 ministerial posts including Mr Salmond, cabinet secretaries and junior ministers, compared with 19 ministers in Jack McConnell's previous administration. | |
During the earlier Court of Session ceremony, Mr Salmond signed formal documents sealing his appointment as the first minister. | |
He was flanked by Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini and Solicitor General John Beckett for the ceremony. | |
Mr Salmond also became the official keeper of the Seal of Scotland, a silver clamp used to authenticate official documents. |