SYDNEY: Armenian-Australian Artin Etmekdjian was re-elected mayor at last Tuesday night’s Ryde Council meeting.

The 49 year-old Liberal councillor was the city’s and Australia’s first Armenian mayor when he won the office last year.

He has been a councillor for West Ward since September, 2008.

Cr Etmekdjian defeated former mayor and independent councillor 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 channelled 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.

Last night’s vote was the last in which councillors 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.