Greek Australian Andrew Lappos is challenging incumbent Telmo Languiller for ALP pre-selection for the safe Labor seat of Derrimut.

The pre-selection will be held in anticipation of the Victorian parliamentary elections due in November 2010.

Derrimut, however, covers part of the controversial Brimbank local government area about which Victorian Ombudsman George Brouwer released a scathing report condemning Theophanous and others of branch stacking.

Following the release of the Ombudsman’s report on Brimbank, the ALP in Victoria decided that all pre-selections for Brimbank would be carried out by the national executive of the ALP as opposed to party members voting for their preferred candidate.

This decision was intended to address allegations of major branch-stacking in Brimbank, as the Ombudsman report suggested.

Andrew Lappos argued that branch-stacking in Brimbank has been rampant for a long time.

He even went so far as to accuse his opponent and one of his electoral officers of being protagonists in this practice.

“I think Telmo [Languiller] and Costas Socratous have been the prime players in that [branch-stacking] and I think these things have worked to the detriment of the party.”

He also lashed out against Mr Languiller saying that “he has lost the passion and the desire to represent his electorate; he has lost touch with his constituency.”

When contacted by Neos Kosmos English Edition (NKEE) Costas Socratous refuted Mr Lappos and stressed that Mr Languiller has a continuous and frequent presence within his constituency in general and Greek Australians in particular.

“Mr Languiller has been a staunch supporter of issues of concern to the Greek community,” Mr Socratous said.

Mr Socratous questioned Mr Lappos’ motivation in making the allegations about branch-stacking, calling him a “troublemaker” whose political ambition drives him to “accuse Mr Languiller of these things”.

Given the decision of the ALP to shift the pre-selection decision to the national executive, Mr Lappos suggested that it is the right process under the circumstances although he would have preferred “individual members deciding for themselves”.

When questioned about the role of certain party operatives who were named in the Ombudsman report, such as, Hakki Suleyman, Mr Lappos was forthcoming in his praise.

“I classify Hakki Suleyman as someone who has lots to contribute to ALP,” Mr Lappos emphasised. It should be noted that even the Premier John Brumby has distanced himself from Hakki Suleyman ,who is also part of the Premier’s Centre Unity faction.

When asked to comment on Mr Suleyman’s recent election as a delegate to the national conference of the ALP, Mr Brumby stated: “I’m not going to comment on every decision that is made by the party, but I certainly didn’t vote for him.”

Delegates at the national conference outline the party platform and select its powerful national executive.