Metis Leaders Not Impressed With Election Proposal
Friday, January 19, 2007 at 14:30
An official with the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan is not happy with a proposal for a new MNS election in June.
An independent oversight committee hired to resolve the organization’s election controversy is proposing to oversee a new vote on June 27th, with the help of a government-appointed chief electoral officer.
The committee says the plan already has the backing of the provincial and federal governments.
However, under the proprosal, Metis citizens will have to give the plan their blessing at a special general assembly in March in an effort to abide by the MNS Constitution.
But interim MNS president Guy Bouvier says there’s no mention of a special general assembly in the MNS Constitution, which he says he will uphold at all costs.
Bouvier says the decision on whether to accept these recommendations will be made only by the Metis local presidents present at a Metis Nation Legislative Assembly — which still has to be called by the Provincial Metis Council.
He says the PMC will decide next week if and when to schedule an MNLA, but adds government funding will be needed to pull it off.
Bouvier also says the oversight committee wasn’t set up to run the election itself.