OTTAWA - John Main was selected as Nunavut's next premier on Tuesday, marking the first time Nunavut will have a non-Inuk leader.

Main, a third-term MLA who speaks fluent Inuktitut and served as Nunavut's health minister in the previous assembly, beat out David Akeeagok for the position in a secret ballot vote in Nunavut's Legislature.

The premier-elect is expected to be sworn-in on Thursday, at which point he will become Nunavut's seventh premier.

"I will work to the best of my ability and work hard," Main said, translated from Inuktitut, in a brief victory speech in the House.

Main, who is from Arviat — one of Nunavut's larger communities with about 3,000 people along the shores west of Hudson's Bay — is only the second premier to hail from the Kivalliq region of central Nunavut. Joe

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