By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Sitting councillor Tim Dark and first-time candidate Eden Foster are leading in the early counts for Keysborough and Yarraman wards in the City of Greater Dandenong election.
Both of the seats are too close to call.
More than 1300 primary votes in the hotly-contested Keysborough Ward were still uncounted as of 28 October.
Mr Dark, a non-endorsed Liberal with 33 per cent of the primary vote, leads ALP-member candidates Phillip Danh (24 per cent) and Sheree Samy (16 per cent).
Fourth is Mr Dark’s running mate Kun Sok (7 per cent).
In Yarraman, Ms Foster, an ALP member, had 33 per cent of the early primary vote.
She was reportedly 498 primary votes ahead of Jonathan Ichim (23 per cent) – a self-described independent exchanging preferences with Jet Saliu (6 per cent).
Ms Foster is expected to get a flow of preferences from ALP member candidates Ahmed Shukri (7 per cent), Cam Dang (10 per cent) and Ravi Shankar (9 per cent).
On early counting, at least four non-endorsed Labor candidates in other wards are likely to be elected.
They are sitting councillors Jim Memeti (Dandenong Ward) and Sophie Tan (Noble Park Ward) and first-time candidates Lana Formoso (Noble Park North) and Richard Lim (Springvale Central).
Cleeland and Dandenong North wards are too close to call.
Early polling numbers in Springvale North ward are not yet known.
Counting in Keysborough South and Springvale South wards will start today (29 October).
