By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
A HANDFUL of Greater Dandenong sitting councillors were battling to retain their seats before the election count final results tonight.
Incumbents Loi Truong, Angela Long, John Kelly and Maria Sampey were awaiting preference counts to decide tight contests in their wards.
Sitting councillor Yvonne Herring, who changed wards to support Cr Kelly, is unlikely to be re-elected.
Of the sitting councillors, Roz Blades, Peter Brown, Youhorn Chea and Jim Memeti appear to have been successful as the count of first preference votes neared completion.
In Lightwood ward, it looked like an ALP whitewash. Mayor Chea’s personal vote collapsed from 38 per cent in 2008 to about 28 per cent but still drew a quota in his own right.
Surprisingly, he was out-voted by ALP member Sean O’Reilly, who has won his first term on the council.
Cr Truong looks to be battling with running mate Dang Quach for the third Lightwood seat.
In Paperbark ward, councillors Blades and Brown, both ALP members, have been returned, with lawyer and ALP member Meng Heang Tak likely to fill the third vacancy.
Sitting councillor Jim Memeti has been re-elected in Red Gum ward, topping the vote with a reduced following from 36 per cent to 23 per cent.
He attributed the lower vote to a more modest $2800 campaign and a ‘‘tough field’’ of candidates.
“I’m very humbled and privileged,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m the only sitting councillor who has got first on the ticket again.’’
The other two spots were likely to be a close fight among Greens candidate Matthew Kirwan (13.7 per cent), Jill Walsh (11.8 per cent), Cr Long (11.6 per cent), Dalibor Saula (10.3 per cent) and possibly Trang Tran (7.7 per cent).
Cr Memeti thought the two spots were open but held hope that Cr Long would prevail. With the help of ALP preferences, Cr Long’s vote would soar towards the 25 per cent quota mark.
He also tipped Mr Kirwan was likely to become Greater Dandenong’s first Greens councillor.
In two-seat Silverleaf ward, there were no clear-cut winners before the preference distribution.
Heading the count was Cr Sampey on 23.3 per cent, but well short of a 33 per cent quota and likely to miss out on preferences.
She was preferenced last on many candidates’ how-to-vote cards.
Cr Kelly, on 17.2 per cent, was well down on his 32.7 per cent result in 2008. Ironically, the former Liberal state candidate was likely to prevail on preferences from ALP-member candidates Barry Long and Nhan Huynh.
However, Mr Long, Mr Huynh and Zaynoun Melhem were not without a chance for one of the two vacancies.
One strong performer was the informal count, which scored more than 10 per cent of the vote in Paperbark and Silverleaf wards.
