In the Merri-bek Council elections, Deputy Mayor Lambros Tapinos is maintaining a slim lead in Brunswick West ward as early vote counts come in. By Wednesday evening, Tapinos, the Labor candidate, was ahead of Greens contender Ella Svensson by 154 votes, with 58.9 per cent of primary votes tallied.

In Harmony Park, Helen Politis leads with 26.01 per cent of primary votes, just ahead of Panopoulos at 25.54 per cent. Independent Jason Clarke is third with 18.43 per cent, followed by independent Stephen Schembri with 14.24 per cent. The preference flow could potentially result in Panopoulos, a former mayor and Greens candidate for Pascoe Vale in 2022, losing her council seat after a single term.

In the nearby Bulleke-bek ward, the Greens’ Jay Iwasaki leads by 785 votes over Victorian Socialists’ Louisa Bassini, while a possible upset looms in Harmony Park ward, which includes Coburg. Here, Greens’ Angelica Panopoulos trails Labor’s Helen Politis by only 34 primary votes, with 63.8 per cent of votes counted so far.

Currently, Tapinos holds 35.71 per cent of primary votes in Brunswick West, with Svensson at 33.21 per cent. Independent Kathleen De Courcy-Browne is in third with 18.86 per cent. Tapinos and De Courcy-Browne had a preference swap agreement, potentially aiding Tapinos’ bid for a fifth term. Meanwhile, preferences from Anneke Demanuele of the Victorian Socialists, with 12.22 per cent, are likely to benefit Svensson.

Tapinos expressed  was cautiously optimistic yet, not ready to call it.

“The election in Brunswick West is too close to call with many votes to be counted. I am in front at the moment and hopefully will be able to hold on. Brunswick is a stronghold of the Greens.

So, I am happy to be in front on primary votes. Every vote will count. I would like to thank everyone who supported me in the election.

In Bulleke-bek ward, Iwasaki holds 35.52 per cent of the primary votes, with Bassini at 21.95 per cent. Labor’s Helen Breier is third at 21.71 per cent, and her position could improve with preferences from independent Mel Yuan, who has 16.54 per cent. However, Bassini’s preferences are expected to mostly favor Iwasaki.

Helen Politis talking to Neos Kosmos said she too feels “cautiously optimistic.”

“I ran a community focused campaign on a policy platform aligned to the needs of residents and traders. I hope this has been enough to get me over the line, so I can do the work that needs to be done. My sleeves are rolled up and ready!,” the Labor candidate said.

In Bababi Djinanang ward, Socialist Alliance councillor Sue Bolton appears almost certain to secure another term, having gained 46.32 per cent of primary votes, a lead of 1473 votes over Labor’s Hassan Gul, who holds 26.21 per cent.

For Djirri-Djirri, former Mayor Helen Davidson is in the lead by 492 votes after 66.6 per cent of the primary votes were counted, with independent Michelle Pitt in second place. Labor’s Praveen Kumar trails in third.

Labor may also secure a third council seat, as Chris Miles currently leads in Box Forest (Glenroy) ward with 39.01 per cent of primary votes. Miles’ lead is 1082 votes over the Greens’ Metin Golbasi, who stands at 24.19 per cent. Golbasi may benefit from the preferences of Victorian Socialists’ Lewis Moore, in third place with 18.83 per cent, while independent Boris Duzova follows with 17.98 per cent.