NICOLA Sturgeon is set to be re-elected First Minister today, although rival MSPs are set to reject her pleas for unanimous backing.
The SNP leader, whose party convincingly won this month's election but fell just short of an overall majority, called on parliament to recognise her mandate and support her nomination regardless of party affiliation.
However, Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, is expected to put himself forward and will win backing from his four other MSPs, while other opposition parties usually abstain.
Read more: David Mundell tells Nicola Sturgeon - there's no mandate for second indyref
Ruth Davidson will not stand for the nomination, as she did in 2014, and neither will Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale. Patrick Harvie, the Green co-convenor, will decide this morning whether to put himself forward, with nominations open between 9:30am and 1:30pm and the formal vote to take place shortly after 2pm. It is not unusual for party leaders to put themselves forward for the post, despite knowing they will have no chance of winning.
Speaking ahead of today's vote, Ms Sturgeon said it was "absolutely clear" that the SNP had an "overwhelming mandate to continue to govern". She called for MSPs from all parties to "recognise that mandate" and support her nomination for First Minister.
She added: "If re-elected by Parliament I will lead a government that seeks to win votes, not simply by the force of our numbers, but by the strength of our arguments - and by the support we are able to build for our policies in the country as a whole.
"And we will not assume a monopoly of wisdom. Good ideas exist across the parliamentary chamber and I promise that we will always seek to judge them on merit, rather than on their party of origin. That is the open, inclusive and outward looking approach to government that I will endeavour to take.
"I have no desire to be First Minister for its own sake. I want to use the opportunity that the office brings to change our country for the better."
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon to split John Swinney's role into two in post election cabinet reshuffle
There will be no repeat of drama seen in Wales last week, when the re-election of Labour's Carwyn Jones as First Minister was blocked by an informal alliance of Plaid Cymru, Tory and Ukip Assembly Members.
The Welsh Assembly's right wing parties backed Leanne Wood, the leader of the SNP's sister party Plaid Cymru and a friend of Ms Sturgeon's, in the vote to become First Minister leaving the result deadlocked at 29-29, with the one Liberal Democrat AM backing Mr Jones and saying she would refuse to support a "rag tag coalition".
Talks between Labour, which emerged as the largest party, and Plaid Cymru to break the deadlock continued yesterday, although it appeared the Welsh Tories had cleared the way for Mr Jones's re-election, with group leader Andrew RT Davies saying his party would abstain in a second vote. A new election will be held if a new First Minister of Wales is not appointed by June 2.
Read more: I’ll persuade, not divide, says defiant Nicola Sturgeon
A Scottish Tory source, asked whether Ms Davidson would put herself forward at Holyrood, said: "No, we've spent the election campaign talking about a strong opposition, so we'll stick to that job. I expect we'll abstain, we won't see any Welsh-style shenanigans."
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