Chaos mars Victoria’s Young Liberal movement vote

ANGRY scenes have marred the vote for president of Victoria’s Young Liberal movement, as chaos engulfed its annual general meeting on Sunday.

Michael Kroger at the 163rd Liberal Party State Council in Melbourne. Picture: Stuart McEvoy/The Australian

THE vote for the presidency of the Victorian Young Liberal movement is set to be abandoned after chaos engulfed its annual general meeting on Sunday.

The Young Liberals top job is being keenly watched this year as it could change the balance of power on the admin committee between supporters and detractors of president Michael Kroger.

FURIOUS LIBERALS TURN UP THE HEAT ON BARNABY JOYCE

ANDREW BOLT: TRIBALIST STANCE IS KILLING POLITICS

Marcus Bastiaan and Michael Kroger.

The AGM at the Eden on the Park Hotel, which was ­attended by admin committee members and parliamentary candidates, saw clashes between supporters and detractors of Liberal young turk numbers man ­Marcus Bastiaan who is aligned with Mr Kroger.

Trouble began when ballot papers were distributed before the advertised time of 3pm, enraging the supporters of Sali Miftari, who is standing for the presidency against the pro-Bastiaan candidate Alex Lisov.

Victorian Liberal vice-president Greg Mirabella stood in front of ballot boxes to stop voting as the early distribution of ballots made the vote ­unconstitutional.

DON’T MISTAKE LIBERALS’ SILENCE ON BARNABY JOYCE FOR SUPPORT

BARNABY JOYCE LOSING VOTER SUPPORT

About 300 members attended, creating angry scenes and verbal stouches during the ballot.

The pro-Miftari forces then successfully voted to close the meeting.

The battle for the critical seat on the Administrative Committee will now move to the Administrative Committee itself with a special meeting set to be called to discuss how to proceed.

Senior party sources are conceding that the vote will need to be run again.

The Bastiaan forces are now expected to instead try and disqualify Mr Miftari from running on the grounds that he had breached party rules by sending mass text messages.

Mr Miftari’s supporters are fearful this tactic is likely to succeed with one warning the Administration Committee has recently acted “like a kangaroo court”.