Impact we can have on the local government elections

As we approach the local council elections in New South Wales, it is very important that our voices count and be truly heard, and that we have leaders who will never choose their conscience over a party. My name is Mohamed Hassan, a young person whose ambition is always to be the voice of those whose voices are not heard and always work to ensure full accountability in government departments.

In two weeks, the entire population of NSW will go to the local council elections on September 14. Among them are more than 350 thousand Muslims, which is equivalent to approximately 4.5% of the population of this region.

There are also a large number of Muslim candidates who will represent parties or on their own. But the biggest question will be the role we as Muslims can have in this election.

When you go inside, there are areas where Muslims are the majority who can make decisions, such as Cumberland City Council, where 23% are Muslims, and Canterbury Bankstown, where we are around 24% of the population.

Major parties such as Labor and Liberal seem to be using the strategy of making the candidates in these areas Muslim in order to erase many years of shutting the doors of Muslim leaders after the vote was given.

This local council election will be the beginning of next year’s federal election. The decision we make today and who we vote for will affect the next election. If we vote today for those who represent the parties that closed their doors, they will work in the east to campaign for those who closed the doors from us.

The biggest obstacle that party has is that they always want to tell us what is good for our people instead of the people telling them. The best example is our sister Fatima Payman, who tried many times to be our voice but was finally forced to leave her party.

Due to these circumstances, it is necessary to find a Muslim person who is chosen by his own community and who is never threatened by a party vote. I would like to announce that I am one of the 70 candidates standing for the Cumberland City Council in Western Sydney election, which has a population of about 250 thousand, 23% of whom are Muslim.

My name is Mohamed Hassan, a young person whose ambition is always to be the voice of those whose voices are not heard and always work to ensure full accountability in government departments.

I am running for the Ward of Regents Park, which includes Auburn (Part), Barela (Part), Regents Park (Part), and Lidcombe. There are many Muslim places of worship in the area, such as the Gallipoli Mosque.

It is important to find someone who can understand and live with the conditions of the people in the area. In order to achieve this, the people of the area should be part of this election, cast their vote, and support anyone who can do something for this community.

Election day is Saturday 14 September 14. If you can’t make it that day and you are busy with your own interests, you have one week to vote, which starts from September 7th to September 13th.

The locations where you can vote in the pre-poll are:

• Berala Community Centre
• Lidcombe Community Centre

Election day polling places:

• Auburn Girls High School
• Auburn North Public School
• Auburn Public School
• Auburn West Public School
• Berala Community Centre
• Berala Jubilee Hall
• Lidcombe Community Centre
• Lidcombe Public School
• Regent’s Park Public School