Pakistani-origin Humza Yousaf on Wednesday sworn in as the new leader of Scotland in a ceremony that incorporated formal traditions and his Pakistani heritage.
Yousaf is set to announce the appointment of his cabinet, which may worsen the deep divisions within his governing party.
At Scotland’s highest court, Yousaf was dressed in a black shalwar kameez, and his family also graced the occasion.
Yousaf has expressed his desire to replace the monarchy with an elected head of state if Scotland gains independence from England.
After a bruising contest, Yousaf narrowly won the leadership race on Monday, succeeding Nicola Sturgeon, who had dominated Scottish politics for nearly a decade. Kate Forbes, Yousaf’s main rival, resigned from the government, sparking internal disagreements over the future of the Scottish National Party and the country’s independence.
Forbes refused an offer to become the rural affairs minister, which was considered a step down from her previous role as finance minister.
Yousaf had promised to adopt a “big tent” approach, departing from Sturgeon’s “inner circle” leadership style, during his leadership campaign. Forbes, who had questioned Yousaf’s track record in government, acknowledged the tightness of the race on Twitter but pledged her full support to Yousaf.
Couple of days ago, Humza Yousaf created history by becoming the head of Scottish National Party (SNP) at the age of 37. He has replaced Nicola Sturgeon who tendered her resignation last month.
He has become the youngest person to hold this office and the first Muslim to lead the Scottish nation.
In the first round of vote system, Humza Yousaf took 24,336 (48%), while her opponent Kate Forbes grabbed 20,559 (40%) votes. Yousaf took 26,032 (52%) and Ms Forbes took 23,890 (48%) votes in the second round.
After securing the victory Yousaf said: “I feel like the luckiest man in the world to be standing here as leader of the SNP.”
