Hailing from Anabar district, Scotty served as Speaker of Parliament from the late 1990s until 2000. During the caretaker administration of Derog Gioura, Scotty was elected President of Nauru by a parliamentary vote of 10-7, defeating Centre Party leader and former President Kinza Clodumar. With the blessings of the outgoing Gioura administration, President Scotty committed to paying the country's civil servants after suffering near-bankruptcy, strengthening relations with the United States and discovering ways to develop a sustainable economy.
Scotty was ousted in a vote of no confidence in August 2003 and was replaced by René Harris. He returned as President on June 22, 2004 after a member of Nauru's Parliament defected. Scotty was re-elected to Parliament in elections in October 2004, and most of his allies also did well.
During the caretaker administration of Derog Gioura, Ludwig was elected President of Nauru by a parliamentary vote of 10-7, defeating Centre Party leader and former President Kinza Clodumar.