Shaw was elected to a five-year term as President by the House of Assembly on 2 October 1998, as the candidate of the United Workers' Party (UWP). The secret ballot, party-line vote was 18–13. He took office on October 6, 1998,[3] following the expiration of President Crispin Sorhaindo's single five-year term. Shaw left office on 1 October 2003, and was succeeded by Nicholas Liverpool. He died on 2 December 2013 at the age of 83.[4]