DR Ian Adamson, an Ulster Unionist Party councillor, was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast last night at the city council's annual meeting. His party colleague, Ms Margaret Crooks, is the new deputy mayor.
Last minute attempts by the SDLP to prevent the UUP taking the top two positions failed. Tentative approaches by the party to some members of the UUP group were reported to have been firmly rebuffed.
Dr Adamson (47), from Holywood, Co Down, was elected with the support of the DUP. He was deputy mayor in 1994/95 and is a community doctor. He lists anthropology as his main hobby.
"I love meeting people from different countries and cultures," he said.
Dr Adamson said he would be happy for an SDLP councillor to take over from him in 1997. "I would be very prepared to see a nationalist mayor," he said.
A bachelor, he said that he was drawing up a short list of reserve Lady Mayoresses. His official Lady Mayoress will be his widowed mother, Jane (76). "But its going to be a long exhausting year ahead and I don't want to tire her out."
Ms Crooks said that she would focus on environmental issues during her term of office.