Metis Election Commission Ruling Questioned

Metis Election Commission Ruling Questioned

Thursday, August 12, 2004 at 13:13

One of the presidential candidates in this past spring’s Metis Nation of Saskatchewan election says he can’t believe voter lists are not being allowed as evidence for appeals.

Yesterday, the Metis Election Commission, which is presiding over the hearings taking place this week in Prince Albert, informed candidates that no ballot boxes or tally sheets would be accepted at the hearings.

A number of candidates voiced their objection to the decision, including Robert Doucette, who says he has grave doubts about some of the voter numbers that came out of certain communities like Wilkie, Denholm and Maymont.

Doucette says he doesn’t know how the commission expects to get to the bottom of the matter if it doesn’t examine the names of people credited as having voted.

However, Ralph Kennedy, the candidate who won the battle for the position of secretary, says the decision is fair.

He says candidates were already allowed to view the voter lists at the recount held in the weeks following

the election.