India elects first woman Speaker
Thursday, 4 June 2009
NEW DELHI, June 3 (BBC): India's parliament has elected its first woman Speaker after a sweeping victory for the Congress party in recent general elections.
Meira Kumar, 64, was elected unopposed by a voice vote in parliament. She belongs to the low-caste Dalit - formerly untouchable - community.
She had been sworn in as a cabinet minister, but resigned Sunday after Congress offered her the Speaker's job. Parliament's newly-elected lower house began its first session Monday.
As soon as the Lok Sabha [lower house of parliament] met Wednesday, Congress party president Sonia Gandhi proposed Ms Kumar as the Speaker of the new house.
Leader of opposition LK Advani [of the Bharatiya Janata Party] and other political leaders seconded her name.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr Advani then accompanied her to the Speaker's chair to complete the formality.
Meira Kumar, 64, was elected unopposed by a voice vote in parliament. She belongs to the low-caste Dalit - formerly untouchable - community.
She had been sworn in as a cabinet minister, but resigned Sunday after Congress offered her the Speaker's job. Parliament's newly-elected lower house began its first session Monday.
As soon as the Lok Sabha [lower house of parliament] met Wednesday, Congress party president Sonia Gandhi proposed Ms Kumar as the Speaker of the new house.
Leader of opposition LK Advani [of the Bharatiya Janata Party] and other political leaders seconded her name.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr Advani then accompanied her to the Speaker's chair to complete the formality.