Artin Etmekdjian re-elected as mayor of Ryde, Australia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Artin Etmekdjian was re-elected as mayor of Ryde, Australia, on September 13 night.

The 49 year-old Liberal councilor was the city’s and Australia’s first Armenian mayor when he won the office last year. He has been a councilor for West Ward since September, 2008.

The Northern-District-Times reported that Cr Etmekdjian defeated former mayor and independent councilor Ivan Petch by seven votes to five on a show of hands in a second round of voting.

Labor Cr Gabrielle O’Donnell was eliminated in the first round, when she received three votes against the five for Cr Petch and four for Cr Etmekdjian. The whole process took about 15 minutes. Her three votes were then channeled to her Liberal opponent to give him the 7-5 result over Cr Petch.

Liberal Cr Bill Pickering was nominated for deputy mayor, but withdrew, leaving Cr O’Donnell and fellow Labor cr Jeff Salvestro-Martin to contest the ballot. Cr O’Donnell won 7-5, also on a show of hands.

The night’s vote was the last in which councilors select their mayors.

Ryde is among the few councils in NSW which do not allow voters to choose the mayor and deputy mayor. These positions will be contested by popular vote at next September’s council elections.