The results of the 20 January 2019 Community elections were the expected ones.

Bill Papastergiadis’ ticket was elected for the fourth time in 9 years with 100 per cent of the Community Council members. He should be congratulated.

However, we should not leave unnoticed a series of anomalies occurring in the Community, especially after 2010 when the present governing group won all 19 seats in the Community Council.  Since then, this has occurred in every election: in 2012, in 2016 and for the fourth time in the 2019 election. It is an anomaly because the Community is something above the small circle of a group which owes its totalitarian power to the abuse offered by the gerrymander of an undemocratic electoral system. This anomaly seldom was occurring at elections before 2010.

The outcome of this development can be seen in the shrinkage of active Community membership.

At the election of 17 January 2010 voted 2,198 members. At the election of 16 December 2012, the number of voters were 741 and at the election of 17 January 2016, with only one candidate over the number of the 19 seats, the voters were only 396. In this year’s election, apart from the 19 candidates of Papastergiadis’ ticket, there were six independent candidates, and this probably contributed to the slight increase of the number of voters to 532. This development in the last 9 years indicates a huge shrinkage of members and interest in the running of the Community.

This is very concerning. It means that a small number of members, without open discussion, without any opposition and without the wider membership’s knowledge, could take decisions affecting the identity and the future of the Community.

The independent candidates knew beforehand the established system and what the election results would be. However, they made a courageous decision to stand in order for the election to take place, and the members see clearly the existing anomaly. Their candidatures were an act of resistance against the developing shrinkage of members and interest, against the growing indifference and apathy.

Christos N. Fifis

Melbourne