The Western province has a new provincial government premier who was duly elected yesterday.
He is former deputy premier Wayne Maepio.
He was elected through a secret voting session by the Western provincial assembly yesterday at the XL building in Gizo.
The final votes showed Maepio to have come out on top with 16 votes over 10 vote for the only other premier nomination Ramrakha Talasasa
The announcement was made by the Hon. Speaker Tekifono who declared the news of the newly elected premier to a public mass who had gathered outside since early in the morning and broadcasted to a listening audience through SIBC Radio happy lagoon.
The newly elected Hon. Premier Wayne Maepio took his oath yesterday in front government representatives and officials as he was officiated by the Principal Magistrate.
In his speech the Hon. Premier said that he would take up his role as the premier not as he was elected into by the assembly but as the answer to the call of duty.
He spoke of the responsibility he had been given as one of great importance in the welfare and wellbeing of his people of western province and declared before God and the people that he would serve to the best of his ability and uphold the constitutions.
The Premier assured the public that the Alliance for Rural development (ARD) government is still intact and continues to function according to its policy statement.
Standing as the only other nominated candidate for the premiership Hon. Ramrakha Talasasa congratulated the Hon. Wayne Maepio as the newly elected Premier of Western province and looks forward to working together in the future.
The Western Assembly had taken to electing a new premier for the western province after receiving the resignation from the former premier Hon. Robert Kuve due to health issues.
A Deputy Premier will be appointed at a later date by the premier.
By Terence Ziru
In Gizo
