John Mikita, who has campaigned for more police in Canberra after his grandmother was violently killed in a 1999 home invasion, has been preselected to run for the Liberals at the ACT election.
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The killing of Irma Palasics, Mr Mikita's grandmother, was one of Canberra's longest-running cold cases, before police arrested two Melbourne men last year.
In the more than two decades between Mrs Palasics' death and the arrests, Mr Mikita has campaigned for greater police resources and sought to keep public attention on the case.
"The government needs to prioritise the allocation of funds for adequate police staff and resources for the growing Canberra community equitably, without running the police service cost neutral," Mr Mikita wrote in January.
Sitting Canberra Liberal members James Milligan and Leanne Castley retained their spots on the party's Yerrabi ticket at the branch meeting on Wednesday night.
Gungahlin Community Council vice-president Ralitsa Dimitrova and Krishna Nadimpalli, an environmental scientist and public servant, were also provisionally preselected.
Dr Nadimpalli was awarded a medal of the Order of Australia in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to multiculturalism in the ACT.
Former Liberal candidate Kacey Lam Evans and ACT Local Hero award finalist Chiaka Moneke missed out on one of the five spots on the Liberal's Yerrabi ticket.
Preselections need to be confirmed by the party's management committee before candidates are formally appointed.
Party members have preselected Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee, Jerry Nockles, Ramon Bouckaert, Patrick Pentony and Sarah Luscombe to run in Kurrajong.
Preselectors backed sitting members Peter Cain and Elizabeth Kikkert to recontest their seats in Ginninderra, alongside Joe Prevedello and Darren Roberts.
Party members will meet next week to vote in preselections for Murrumbidgee and Brindabella.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
