The newly elected Kokopo City Lord Mayor and also the sitting Ward Member for Ula-ulatava in the Kokopo Vunamami Urban LLG (KVULLG) Phillip Tale was officially sworn in a week following his election during the by-election in early February. The Swearing in of the mayor-elect was facilitated by ENB Senior Provincial Magistrate (SPM) Samuel Lavutul on the 15th of February. Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Kokopo City Authority (KCA) John Talele declared Honorable Philip Tale. A total of 19 Ward Members took part in a secret ballot that was officiated by the ENB Provincial Electoral Office. Mr. Tale won by 11 votes, over the 8 votes for the other candidate and Bita-reba-rebe Ward Member Diuvia Kopman. Mr. Talele congratulated the new Mayor and encouraged the Ward Members to perform their responsibilities in Kokopo city and in their wards. Speaking on behalf of the ENB Provincial Administration (ENBPA), Deputy Provincial Administrator for District & LLG Services Nicholas Larme congratulated Mr. Tale on his election as the new Lord Mayor for Kokopo. “The display of exercising our democratic right was shown today. Civility, maturity and leadership are important and without this three, nothing good will happen,” Mr Larme said. He said that Ward Members should be the first change in their communities. Though Kokopo City now has a Mayor, his term will only last until May, because the LLG Elections will start in June this year. Mayor Tale then appointed Marcello Vagaia, the Ward Member for Gunanba as his deputy. In his maiden speech, Mayor-elect Tale said that he was part of some projects that was initiated by the Ward Development Committees (WDC) and his ward piloted a solar water supply project for Takabur village. “We will roll out the solar water supply project to other parts of KVULLG, other LLGs and Kokopo District. I will push for the LLG budget to be approved,” he said. The Kokopo Mayor’s seat was left vacant since the former Mayor Isidor Bonga was convicted of Dangerous Driving causing death and was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment by the Kokopo District Court last year. Ward Member for Malakuna No.4 Francis Reiner, who was the former Deputy Mayor, was acting on the Mayor’s position until the By-Election this year.