So Mayor Victory

Our Melbourne Mayor, Mayor So was voted the world's best mayor. Hip Hip Hooray!


MELBOURNE'S Lord Mayor John So has been voted the world's most outstanding mayor - five years after becoming the city's first popularly-elected leader.

Between June and October this year more than 103,000 people from across the globe voted on 677 mayors as part of the World Mayor internet-based project organised by City Mayors, a international organisation working to promote local government.

The annual vote was aimed at raising the profile of mayors worldwide.

Mr So has said it is a privilege to receive the award.

"I am delighted to be elected World Mayor 2006," Mr So has said.

"The honour belongs to the amazing people of this wonderful city and the hard working team at the City of Melbourne," he has said.

Those who voted also were encouraged to provide statements on why their nominee should win.

One young Melburnian wrote: "John So has captured the imagination of the people of this city.

"He has especially done so with young people.

"Where else in the world do people under the age of 25 cheer and stamp and shout out the name of the mayor?"

His comments refer to Mr So's surge in popularity during the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games which led to "John So, he's our bro" and "John So for PM" T-shirts.

At the Games closing ceremony, at every mention of his name, there was applause from the crowd, which got progressively louder.

Mr So, who was the only Australian mayor to be short listed for the award, has said Melbourne is a great place to live.

"Melbourne is a passionate, diverse and sophisticated city with a precious indigenous tradition," he has said.

Mr So was born in Shunde, a county in southern China and moved to Melbourne when he was 17 years old.

In July 2001, he became the first directly-elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne, defeating several high-profile candidates, including Australian Democrats founder, Don Chipp.

He will be presented with the World Mayor award early in 2007.

Source : http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20874539-1243,00.html