Sawt Falasteen - Leftist Mamdani begins first day as New York mayor

The 34-year-old Democrat -- virtually unknown a year ago -- was officially sworn in as mayor of the largest city in the United States just past midnight as New Yorkers rang in the new year.

New York's first Muslim mayor took the oath of office during a private ceremony at a decommissioned subway stop under City Hall.

Later on Thursday, Mamdani is scheduled to take part in a larger, ceremonial inauguration with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Around 4,000 ticketed guests are expected to attend the event outside City Hall. Mamdani's team has also organized a block party that it says will enable tens of thousands of people to watch the ceremony at streetside viewing areas along Broadway.

"This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime," Mamdani told reporters after taking the official oath in the first minutes of New Year's Day.

- Ambitious agenda -

But it remains to be seen if Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, can deliver on his ambitious agenda, which envisions rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses.

Once an election is over, "symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more," New York University lecturer John Kane said.

How Trump behaves could be decisive.

The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November.

Lincoln Mitchell, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University, said the meeting "couldn't have gone better from Mamdani's perspective."

But he warned their relationship could quickly sour.

One flashpoint might be immigration raids as Trump wages an expanding crackdown on migrants across the United States.

Mamdani has vowed to protect immigrant communities.

Before the November vote, the president also threatened to slash federal funding for New York if it picked Mamdani, whom he called a "communist lunatic."

The mayor has said he believes Trump is a fascist.

- New occupant of mayoral mansion -

Mamdani's private swearing-in to start his four-year term was performed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud.

In a first for the city, Mamdani is using several Korans to be sworn in as mayor -- two from his family and one that belonged to Puerto Rico-born Black writer Arturo Schomburg, The New York Times reported.

The new job comes with a change of address as he swaps his rent-controlled apartment in the borough of Queens for Gracie Mansion, the luxurious mayor's residence on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Some had wondered if he would move to the official mansion given his campaigning on affordability issues. Mamdani said he was doing so mainly for security reasons.

Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven and enjoyed an elite upbringing with only a relatively brief stint in politics, becoming a member of the New York State Assembly before being elected mayor.

Compensating for his inexperience, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides recruited from past mayoral administrations and former US president Joe Biden's government.

Mamdani has also opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate leaders have debunked those claims.

As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the city's Jewish community -- the largest in the US -- of his inclusive leadership.

Recently, one of his hires resigned after it was revealed she had posted antisemitic tweets years ago.

Y.Zaher--SF-PST