Wawatay News: (http://wawataynews.ca)
Source URL: (The Gazette News Article)
Federal government overturns Manitoba First Nation's election
OTTAWA — The federal government has overturned election results for Lake St. Martin First Nation, north of Winnipeg, for the second time in five years.
The election was held Sept. 10, 2009, and, after an appeal and independent investigation, the federal cabinet ordered the election's results overturned June 3, citing violations of Indian band election regulations.
"The chief and the six councillors were advised on June 7," said Indian and Northern Affairs Canada spokeswoman Margot Geduld. "This is after careful examination and an independent investigation. This decision isn't taken lightly."
Geduld said the violations included failing to maintain control of the ballot process, opening mail-in ballots and depositing them into the ballot box, failing to maintain adequate records of mail-in ballots and allowing individual electors to vote more than once.
The violations call into question the entire election and the results were thrown out "in their entirety," said Geduld.
A new vote was underway Wednesday, said Geduld.
Nobody answered the phone at the Lake St. Martin band office Wednesday.
Lake St. Martin is a band of about 500 people in the Interlake, about 250 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
In 2005, Indian Affairs also overturned the election results there after allegations of vote buying were investigated. At that time it was alleged the chief and two of the councillors — who were all brothers — had offered cash for mail-in ballots. They denied the allegations and an RCMP investigation never resulted in any charges.
However, the federal government overturned the results and ordered the three brothers not be allowed to seek office again for at least six years.
Geduld said on average the federal government overturns results from three First Nations elections each year. There are more than 600 bands nationwide, though not all of them hold elections each year.
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Ron Evans said these kinds of irregularities are among the reasons he is pushing for a provincewide electoral process for First Nations that would be overseen by a single electoral officer, much the same way Elections Manitoba oversees provincial elections.
He also wants a common voting day and mandatory four-year terms.
Currently bands hold their elections on different days and the terms can be as short as two years.
Evans said Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl — who has expressed support for the idea — is planning legislation that Evans hopes will be introduced before the end of the year.
mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
