INAC Won’t Prevent Meechance’s Re-Election Bid

Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 15:21

 

 

Officials with Indian Affairs say they won’t restrict certain candidates from running again in an election on the Red Pheasant First Nation, despite cries of improper conduct in the last vote.

 

Complaints of an improper election on the reserve first began to surface last spring, shortly after Charles Meechance won the election for chief.

 

An RCMP investigation was launched and concluded irregularities had taken place during the vote, particularly around the use of mail-in ballots.

 

As a result, INAC overturned the results of the election and ordered a new one be held on February 22nd.

 

INAC spokesman Trevor Sutter says measures are being put in place to make sure irregularities don’t surface again. However, he says the department can’t keep certain candidates from running again.

 

Sutter says the department has appointed off-reserve residents to be its deputy electoral officers for the vote in an effort towards impartiality.

 

He says other measures are being kept secret for security reasons.