Rhun ap Iorwerth Poised for First Minister Confirmation
Rhun ap Iorwerth is anticipated to be confirmed as the first minister at the Senedd's initial session following his historic election victory.
On Thursday, Plaid Cymru ended Labour's century-long streak of election wins in Wales and concluded Labour's 27-year governance in Cardiff.
The path is clear for ap Iorwerth's confirmation, as Labour and Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds are expected to abstain, while the two Green MSs have declared their support for Plaid.
Ap Iorwerth will become the first Welsh government leader not affiliated with Labour.
Senedd to Elect New Llywydd
The newly formed 96-member Senedd must also select a new Llywydd, or speaker, for the Welsh Parliament. Labour's Huw Irranca-Davies and Conservative Paul Davies are the leading candidates.
During the session, Senedd members will be individually asked to nominate their choice for first minister.
Ap Iorwerth holds sufficient votes to secure the position, and no other candidate, including Reform's Dan Thomas, has the numbers to challenge him.
The stance of the Welsh Conservatives during the vote remains uncertain; however, even if they back Thomas, he would not surpass the combined Plaid and Green votes.
Swearing-In and Deputy Presiding Officer Uncertainty
Following the vote, ap Iorwerth must be sworn in by a High Court judge before officially assuming the role of first minister.
As of Monday, it was unclear whether the vote would proceed due to uncertainty surrounding the appointment of the deputy presiding officer.
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson confirmed the party intends to nominate a candidate for the deputy presiding officer position, though the nominee had not been announced by Monday evening.
When the presiding officer is from the opposition, as is the case with both Irranca-Davies and Davies, the deputy presiding officer must be selected from the governing party.
If Plaid fails to nominate a deputy presiding officer, the process to confirm ap Iorwerth as first minister could be delayed.
Plaid plans to convene a meeting of their 43-member Senedd group on Tuesday morning.
Plaid Cymru's Position and Future Governance
Plaid Cymru secured 43 seats last Thursday, falling six seats short of an outright majority.
Despite this, at the party's victory rally on Saturday, ap Iorwerth pledged to govern independently.
This suggests Plaid will likely require support from other parties for key votes.
"Throughout our nation people have put their faith in Plaid Cymru in numbers never seen before."
"We will do everything we can to repay the faith that people have put in us," he added.
Opposition and Reform Party's Role
Reform won 34 seats in the Senedd, making them the second-largest group in the Welsh Parliament and positioning them as the main opposition.
Over the weekend, Reform Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni MS Llŷr Powell stated the party's intention to increase scrutiny of Cardiff Bay's proceedings.
"We really need to make sure we get into the detail of what this new government will do.
"The budget will be a priority for us to make sure money goes where it needs to."
