Schwarzenegger laps up world's congratulations

Former South African leader Nelson Mandela were among the first people to congratulate Arnold Schwarzenegger on his election as governor of California, the movie star said.

After his dramatic victory the Terminator star set out his policy goals and said his film career would now be put on hold.

In his first news conference since being elected, Schwarzenegger also said last night that he would be meeting President Bush as early as next week to ask for “a lot of favours” for the debt-ridden state.

The 56-year-old Republican said he would “open the books” of the state to see where cash was being wasted.

He repeated his promise that he would not raise taxes but warned the state’s massive debts were still swelling.

He also said he was examining ways to reduce car tax, which has tripled in recent years, and how to grant temporary work permits to some of California’s illegal immigrants, who are a major factor in the economy.

His transition team would be led by the Republican Congressman David Dreier, he said.

After Schwarzenegger’s victory the people of California, America and the world are watching to see if the politically-inexperienced actor can turn around the state’s fortunes.

California is crippled by a high budget deficit; unemployment is high and public services are suffering.

Speaking in Los Angeles, Schwarzenegger said he had received congratulatory telephone calls from both George Bush as well as the president’s father, George Bush senior.

He said the current president “promised me that he would do everything possible to help California and I look forward to working with him and asking him a lot, a lot of favours”.

“Then I got other phone calls, like President Nelson Mandela. He is one of my heroes. We had a wonderful conversation for around 15 minutes this morning,” Schwarzenegger said.

He said there was “a lot of work ahead”.

“There will be no time for movies or anything else. I will give full attention to this job,” he said.

“I take this job very seriously and I want to make sure that I will provide the jobs that people want, that I will bring back the economy, I will bring back the jobs, I will clean up the environment, I will help with education.

“There is a lot of work ahead. On my mind is not the movies at all.” He insisted that he could create jobs and improve the environment, saying he was committed to alternative hydrogen fuels.

Despite the celebrations he rose the next day at 6am and spent an hour in the gym, before having breakfast with his family and then taking numerous telephone calls.

Schwarzenegger is expected to be formally appointed to office within the next few weeks.

He clinched victory despite a string of allegations during the campaign that he groped a series of women and once said he admired Hitler.

Meanwhile fears that Schwarzenegger’s victory could be challenged, or that Democrats could attempt to recall him, have so far not been borne out.

Ousted governor Gray Davis has pledged to work with Schwarzenegger during the transition period, but other leading Democrats claimed that 300,000 Californians were unable to find their polling stations and could not vote.