EDINBURGH, Scotland, May 16 (UPI) -- Scottish National Party official Alex Salmond on Wednesday became the first member of his party to be named first minister of Scotland.
Thanks in part to the votes from 47 members of his political party in the Scottish Parliament, Salmond was voted into power Wednesday and immediately pledged his dedication to the Scottish people, The Herald newspaper in Glasgow, Scotland, reported.
"Today I commit myself to leadership wholly and exclusively in the Scottish national interest," Salmond said.
"That is the Parliament the people of Scotland elected and that is the government that I will be proud to lead."
Labor Party official Jack McConnell, the outgoing first minister, warned Salmond not to instigate a constitutional crisis.
The Herald said that the Scottish National Party win not only represented the first time one of its members had taken up the prestigious Scottish post but broke up the Labor Party's dominance in the role.
