HELSINKI, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The Finnish parliament has elected former Finns Party chair Jussi Halla-aho as its speaker, it was announced on Wednesday.

Halla-aho received 134 votes in the 200-seat legislature, the parliament said in a press release.

As the new parliament speaker, Halla-aho will be assisted by two deputy speakers.

With new speakers and cabinet ministers sworn in, Finland's new parliament and government have finally become operational -- more than two months after they were elected.

The speaker's post is traditionally held by a member of parliament from the second-largest party in the parliament. Halla-aho's Finns Party became the second-largest party after the election on April 2.

Born in 1971, Halla-aho served as a member of parliament between 2011 and 2014, and from July 2019 until now. From 2014 to 2019, he served as a member of the European Parliament. He was chairman of the Finns Party from 2017-2021.

The Finnish parliament can pass legislation based on a government proposal, a member's motion, or a citizens' initiative. On Wednesday, under Halla-aho's leadership, the parliament began debating the Government Program published by the newly-elected cabinet on June 16. Enditem

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