Party politics to blame, say losers

FORMER councillors have blamed party-political candidates their failure to win at last weekend’s Greater Dandenong elections.
Former Lyndale Ward councillor Angela Long said she would appeal to the Labor Party secretariat after believing two people from within the party, who she refused to name, worked to unseat her by organisaing other candidates’ preferences against her.
Former Spingvale North Ward councillor Naim Melhem, like Ms Long, said he was also preferenced because of the political leanings of other councillors.
Both councillors gained the most first preference votes in their respective wards, but none achieved the 50 per cent plus one vote majority needed to win on first preferences.
Once the wards went to preference distribution, both Ms Long and Mr Melhem lost their election races.