5 Feb 2016

Kiribati MPs select former president as new speaker

1:33 pm on 5 February 2016

Teatao Teannaki has been voted speaker in the new Kiribati parliament.

The parliament met for the first time today after the elections last month.

Mr Teannaki, a former president of Kiribati, was nominated by a coalition of parties and beat the nominee of the long dominant BTK, Taomati Iuta.

Mr Teannaki got 26 votes to Mr Iuta's 19.