by Sahar Foladi
Greater Dandenong Council candidate names and positions were sealed at the ballot draw for the October council elections.
At the draw at the VEC Dandenong office, Cleeland Ward’s sitting ALP councillor Angela Long took third position, while Greens rival Rhonda Garad took the “psychological win” first position on the ballot.
Another ALP member Zahra Haydar Big has taken second position in the same ward saying she’s confident that she has a strong chance to win the seat from the two incumbent councillors.
This will be her second time running for local elections after her first run at the Yarraman by-election.
The five-time mayor and ALP member Jim Memeti took out the first position in the draw against Rahima Rizai who also ran at the Yarraman by-election. She is the only opposition against Cr Memeti.
Rizai says the wards needs a fresh face and voice however Cr Memeti’s pool of supporters have already took to social media to vouch for him and display an unwavering support for him.
If re-elected it’ll be Cr Memeti’s sixth time on Council.
“It doesn’t matter how many people run against you,” Cr Memeti said.
‘I still think you still have to do the hard work and pull the hard yards, so I’ll definitely be treating it as if there’s 10 people running against me and hopefully I’ll come out on the top at the end of the elections.”
On the other hand, the Noble Park ward sitting councillor Sophie Tan has won the seat with no contest as the only other candidate Dy Truong withdrew from the race on the final day of nominations.
“I am thrilled & honoured to be re-elected in Noble Park Ward. I’ll be declared elected after voting closes on 25 October,” Cr Tan says.
“As the race is uncontested, voters enrolled in Noble Park Ward will not get a ballot pack in the mail this October.”
I’ll looking forwards to serve our community for the next four years.
Other wards without a sitting councillor such as the Keysborough South, Keysborough and Springvale Central wards had a lot of new candidates who say they just want to improve the area for good.
Bachelor of Law student at Victoria University Ajdin Muzur has his hands up to run for the Keysborough South ward.
The ALP affiliated candidate has lived in Keysborough South for the past 16 years and is very much into politics.
“I’ve been part of politics for the majority of my life and I thrive in that environment.
“It’s time for me to give back to the community and that’s a skill set I’ve grown my whole life to make my community thrive.”
He’s yet to form an opinion on the “contentious” issue around the Green Wedge and South East Sporting Hub widely reported previously by the Dandenong Journal.
“As of right now I haven’t fully made up my mind as to which side I sit. I want to continue speaking with residents about it. There are a lot of people who don’t want the development to happen because of the Green Wedge.”
Dandenong North candidate Branka Tomic, who migrated from Germany in 2001, has lived in the ward for her whole life.
She has raised a son as a single mother when the ward was “very quiet” compared to the bustling roads we see now.
Ms Tomic says local council shouldn’t be muddled up with politics.
“People should run independently and not act like politicians. There should be no politics here just normal residents who want to improve the standards of living.”
Ballot pack will be mailed out to residents on Monday 7 October and voting will close at noon on Friday 25 October.
Greater Dandenong Council candidates, in ballot order:
CLEELAND
GARAD, Rhonda
HARDAR BIG, Zahra
LONG, Angela
HEWAVITHARANA, Pradeep
DANDENONG NORTH
FORMOSO, Daniel
IERONE, Rosana
TANNOUS, Rhonda
TOMIC, Branka
MILKOVIC, Bob
DANDENONG
MEMETI, Jim
RIZAI, Rahima
KEYSBOROUGH SOUTH
MUZUR, Ajdin
BRYANT, Alexandra
DO, Isabella
GONSALVEZ, Geraldine
JANKOVIC, Sasha
KEYSBOROUGH
YIM, Melinda
PINCHEIRA, Reinaldo Ivan
BROWN, Peter
IN, Hemara
GOV, Tevyn
DANG, Daniel
AKKURT, Sinan
NOBLE PARK NORTH
BILLINGS, Will
AGRAVANTE, Love
RATHNAYAKE, Karl
FORMOSO, Lana
NOBLE PARK
TAN, Sophie
SPRINGVALE CENTRAL
BUNLAY, Meng
TRUONG, Hor
DALTON, Brian
LE, Alice Phuong
LE, Minh
STEBBINGS, Sean
SPRINGVALE NORTH
DINH, Huong
HOLL, Angela
O’REILLY, Sean
SPRINGVALE SOUTH
HEM, Malab
YIM, Thayhorn
TRUONG, Loi
TRAN, Andy
SOK, Lin
THAI, Yen
YARRAMAN
DANH, Phillip
COOK, Ian
