Mr Aingimea won the vote for presidency on Tuesday 12 votes to six against former finance minister David Adeang.

Former president Baron Waqa, who has led the nation for the past six years, lost his bid for re-election at last weekend's poll.

Mr Aingimea said in a statement the people of Nauru were like "children that need protecting and guiding".

"My vision for Nauru is for us to work together, all members of parliament, because everybody has a contribution. Everyone has ideas, everyone needs those ideas to be voiced and when they need to be tempered, to be tempered.

"That's my vision that we work together as a unit, for the prosperity and the betterment of Nauru."

In 2015 he attracted controversy as secretary of justice for overseeing Nauru's ban on Facebook and other websites.

He will announce his cabinet on Wednesday.

The outgoing president's support was critical to Nauru hosting one of Australia's asylum seeker detention facilities on the island.

Since 2001 Australia has placed asylum seekers caught trying to reach Australia by boat in the Nauru detention facility while their refugee status is processed.

Nauru makes about a third of its national income from the arrangement.

Australian Associated Press