Will be held Labour Day/Powwow weekend
by Tom Sasvari
M’CHIGEENG—The M’Chigeeng First Nation elections appeals committee (EAC) has declared that there has been a contravention of the M’Chigeeng First Nation Custom Election Code 2019, section 50 (1) and 2, and has issued an order to M’Chigeeng administration to terminate the current electoral officer’s contract, appoint a new electoral officer and set a new election date on the Labour Day weekend. Further, that the current chief’s and council’s term of office be extended. The committee has provided notice to M’Chigeeng administration after a meeting April 13 that it passed a motion after investigation.
As has been reported previously, EAC had received numerous complaints and appeals regarding the entire M’Chigeeng custom election process, including the application and interpretation of the election procedures and the important role of the electoral officer in the implementation application of the custom election code 2019. The EAC explained the electoral officer had been invited to attend numerous meetings with the M’Chigeeng EAC in order to monitor the implementation of the election, including the new date set for the M’Chigeeng First Nation of May 13, 2023.
However, in a notice posted by the EAC, it was explained the electoral officer failed to attend at any of the meetings that she had been invited to and, among other things, report on the progress of the M’Chigeeng election. The EAC said the electoral officer had been specifically asked to provide a report to the EAC on whether she had mailed out the ballots to the off-reserve voters on April 11 and has failed to respond to the EAC on whether or not this took place. And, “the EAC has had great difficulty in communicating with the electoral officer and the electoral officer has not responded to communications from the EAC.”
The EAC committee, at their April 13 meeting passed a motion, “that the EAC is of the view that the electoral officer failed to satisfactorily monitor the implementation of the M’Chigeeng First Nation election and that this failure will materially affect the outcome of the election”, due to a number of violations.
Under general election timelines it was explained, “the electoral officer must (a) obtain a list of members’ names, band numbers, dates of birth and most recent addresses from the membership register and, no later than 138 days prior to the election date, compile a list of eligible voters.” Under the role of electoral officer, “an electoral officer must exercise the powers and perform the duties set out in this code and the regulations and such additional duties as are assigned to the electoral officer by the council.”
In the EAC motion it states, “the election appeal committee issues this order to the M’Chigeeng First Nation administration to terminate the current electoral officer contract effective immediately.” Further, “EAC appoint Peggy Manitowabi as electoral officer and accept the quote provided in the amount of $28,000 to conduct a new election and set the new election date for September 2, 2023.” As well, “That the current Chief’s and Council’s term be extended to September 1, for the continued operations of member programs and services and to provide for the efficient government and shall terminate upon expiry of date set in this temporary order.”
The election date would fall on the Labour Day weekend, on Saturday, September 2nd, which was rejected by members of the community in a plebiscite last year. The M’Chigeeng powwow is also held on this weekend.
