At the end of Election Night on Tuesday the results for a charter amendment to the Port Arthur City Charter wasn’t even close.

The amendment to eliminate Districts 5 and 6 from the Port Arthur City Council to reduce the number of seats was 6,559 or 65.93 percent for and 3,390 or 34.07 percent against with a total vote count of 9,949.

Osman Swati, District 6 councilman and author and proposer of the amendment, said he’s relieved it passed.

“I knew this was the right thing to do,” he said. I had not doubt in my mind.”

“I was confident this was the right thing for Port Arthur. The only thing told in opposition were lies. Citizens have been suffering for decades from the lies, racism and discrimination. My workers at the polls were abused. We need to be civil with each other and stop fighting with each other. Being angry with each other and come together.”

The amendment requested the elimination of Council Districts 5 — that is the combined boundaries of Districts 1 and 4 — and 6 — that is the combined boundaries of Districts 2 and 3. Willie “Bae” Lewis Jr. is the District 5 councilman.

The city council passed the proposal in August to conduct a special election on Nov. 8, 2016 with the option of eliminating Districts 5 and 6.

Swati said he is now focused on the May 2017 election and getting the right people elected.

“I want people to learn from this result. I want citizens informed,” he said. “We have six candidates running in May. I want citizens to make their decision wisely as they did with this election and not fall for hating someone for the color of their skin or the religion they practice.”

Swati said he and Lewis will serve together on the city council until May 2018 and he wants to do some positive things together with him for the city.

“This is not like the lies he said I was trying to get him kicked off the council before then,” Swati said. “We stood outside the poll and spread the true message. Five hundred people a day went to the polls and everyone understood what the proposal was about versus the 3,800 or so lies and BS told at the polls and fliers sent out calling me a terrorist.”

“This result shows victory for the citizens. I’m just doing exactly what I was elected for — serving the citizens.”

David Ball: 409-721-2427