By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
GREATER Dandenong’s mayoral race remains a tight three-way fight that could even be decided by pulling a name out of the hat.
Councillors Peter Brown, Youhorn Chea and Sean O’Reilly – all members of the Labor Party – will be seeking to sway their colleagues in the remaining days ahead of Thursday’s statutory meeting to replace the current mayor Jim Memeti.
By Cr Brown’s reckoning, the numbers could be split 4-4-3.
“It’s impossible to call at this stage,” he said.
“There’s a distinct possibility that it will be deadlocked and will be decided by pulling a name out of a hat.
“It’s never been so split between three members of the same political party.”
Cr Brown said the unpredictability was heightened by the possible absence of up to two councillors on Thursday.
Usually the result would be indicated at a “dress rehearsal” vote in a closed meeting a week ahead.
However that pre-vote has been postponed until Wednesday at the request of Cr Chea, who has been overseas and couldn’t be contacted last week.
Cr O’Reilly said he expected a resolution by Wednesday, although it was a “possibility” that the title could be contested at the public meeting on the following night.
“I don’t think the majority of councillors will want to see that.”
Non-ALP aligned councillor John Kelly last week virtually ruled himself out as a “battling” chance.
“I’m the wrong (political) flavour,” he said.
Check the Journal website at dandenong.starcommunity.com.au Friday morning or follow the Journal’s Facebook page for a full report on who is Greater Dandenong’s new mayor.
