The first item on the agenda is the election of a Presiding Officer, under Standing Order 6. So, I therefore invite nominations under Standing Order 6.6. Do we have any nominations? And we have to have a Member from a different political party to second any nomination. So, nominations please.

I nominate Elin Jones as Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales.

I’m sorry. Thank you, Dai Lloyd—I didn’t see you round there. Elin Jones. Is there a seconder, from a different political party?

I second Elin Jones for the position of Presiding Officer.

Thank you, Jane Hutt. Are there any other nominations?

Presiding Officer, I’d like to nominate Dafydd Elis-Thomas as Presiding Officer.

Dafydd Elis-Thomas. Is there a seconder, from another party?

I’d like to second the nomination of Dafydd Elis-Thomas for Deputy—for Presiding Officer, sorry.

Are you sure now?

Yes—thinks.

Right, thank you. It helps if you take your earphones off, you know—you don’t hear yourself.

Are there any other nominations? No other nominations for Presiding Officer. As we have two nominations, I would invite the two candidates to stand and say just a few words about themselves, and I hope I don’t have to have the prerogative of the Presiding Officer to call you to time this afternoon; I will be generous. The first nomination was Elin Jones. Therefore, I call Elin Jones to speak to the Assembly. Elin Jones.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. May I welcome everybody to the Assembly, those of you who are newcomers and those of you who are returning?

May I say that I believe that it’s a great honour to be proposed as Presiding Officer designate and to put my name forward to the vote? Some of you know me very well, and some of you perhaps don’t know me at all. Therefore, before moving to the vote, I’ll outline some of the principles that will be the foundation of my term as Presiding Officer, if successful.

First of all, I would endeavour to be fair—attempt to be fair and be fair—with every Member of this Assembly, to treat everybody equally and to safeguard the rights of each individual Member. Secondly, I would promote and safeguard the good reputation of this Assembly, here in the Chamber and beyond, in every community within Wales. And I would wish to allow a lively, healthy, democratic debate here in the Assembly, and I would be transparent at all times. Finally, I would also ensure that this Senedd plays a constructive, collaborative role with our fellow and sister Parliaments within the United Kingdom and beyond. I would hope, this afternoon, that I will gain your support for Presiding Officer.

Thank you. I now call on Dafydd Elis-Thomas.

Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Strengthening the Welsh constitution has been the main aim and pleasure in my life, and the opportunity, be that unexpected, to continue with that work by presiding over the fifth Assembly is one that I believe to be crucial, because this is the Assembly that will move this Senedd from being a relatively inferior Senedd within the UK to being an equal partner. This will be the Senedd where the responsibility for all our parliamentary proceedings will be devolved to us, and, hopefully, that will happen very soon, given all the sluggishness that there’s been in agreeing the Wales Bill. I won’t actually go in to who’s to blame on one side or the other in a speech such as this one.

In addition to that, we will have responsibility for our own electoral arrangements, and it appears to me, having been in a number of polling booths, as a constituency candidate, that there is a case for us to look anew—for the first time from our point of view as a body—at the voting system and to see whether there is a more proportional system and a more democratic system that we could put in place.

The other challenge, of course, is to ensure that this Senedd is a Senedd that works efficiently. I have to say that, having spent time in the chair, as an individual Member and as a committee Chair, we haven’t yet developed the correct and mature balance between scrutinising Government and getting our business through. Those two aspects of the role of a parliament are just as important if we are to be an effective parliament.

This, too, will be a period where we are likely to have responsibility in appointing a new chief executive for this institution, and this is an opportunity for us to not only thank the incumbent chief executive but also to thank her for the inspiration that has been given to the high-quality staff that we have in this place. Many of you who are former Members, as I have been, of another place, have told me how happy you are to see the professional quality of the work carried out here. I am fully committed to ensuring that those working for us are given appropriate recognition. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. As we have two candidates, we will therefore hold a secret ballot. So, we will now adjourn the meeting to allow that ballot to take place. Members will have 30 minutes to cast their votes. Voting will take place in briefing room 13 and ushers are on hand to direct the Members to that room. Guidance on this procedure is outlined in the document that you’ve already received and the bell will be rung to indicate when the voting booths are open.

The Clerk will be responsible for supervising the voting and counting the votes. Following the secret ballot, I will arrange for the bell to be rung a second time five minutes before we reconvene in the Siambr. I will then announce the results. We may reconvene sooner than 30 minutes, if all Members have voted before then. So, I now adjourn the meeting.

Plenary was suspended at 13:37.

The Assembly reconvened at 14:15, with the Presiding Officer in the Chair.

The Assembly is now back in session, and the result of the secret ballot is as follows. All the 60 Members voted: Elin Jones, 34, Dafydd Elis-Thomas 25, and 1 abstention. I therefore declare, in accordance with Standing Order 6.9, that Elin Jones is elected as Presiding Officer to the National Assembly for Wales, and I invite her to take the Chair. [Applause.]

The Presiding Officer (Elin Jones) took the Chair.

You all look very different from up here. [Laughter.]

Mae’n fraint ac yn anrhydedd cael fy ethol i’r swydd hon ac rwy’n diolch i’r Cynulliad yn fawr am eich cefnogaeth. Cyn inni symud ymlaen i ethol Dirprwy Lywydd, hoffwn i gofnodi diolchiadau’r Cynulliad yma oll i’r cyn-Lywydd, Rosemary Butler. Mae wedi bod yn llysgennad gwych i’r Cynulliad yn ystod y pum mlynedd diwethaf. Mae wedi chwalu rhwystrau sy’n atal pobl rhag cymryd rhan yn y broses ddemocrataidd, yn enwedig ymhlith menywod trwy ei hymgyrch Menywod mewn Bywyd Cyhoeddus a’i gwaith i annog mwy o bobl ifanc i chwarae eu rhan wrth wraidd busnes y Cynulliad. Diolch yn fawr i chi, Rosemary, gan bob un ohonom, a phob dymuniad da i chi yn y dyfodol. Diolch yn fawr iawn, Rosemary. [Cymeradwyaeth.]