The process is underway for selecting the next chief councillor of the Ts鈥檌l Kaz Koh (TKK) First Nation, also known as the 亚洲天堂 Lake Band.
The 亚洲天堂 Lake-based Indigenous government has called a meeting for Nov. 7 at 5 p.m. at the nation鈥檚 administration office. The meeting is scheduled to last at least until 8 p.m. in order to hear from anyone interested in being the TKK chief for the next electoral term.
The meeting is being held per the First Nations Elections Act, but it is not the only way a candidate may step forward for election.
鈥淎ny elector may nominate candidates by delivering or sending by mail, email, or fax to the electoral officer a completed, signed and witnessed nomination and voter declaration form to the electoral officer before the time set for the nomination meeting, or by making a nomination orally at the nomination meeting,鈥� said Drew Shaw, the Victoria-based electoral officer for this poll.
An elector, someone eligible to vote in that election may only nominate on person for this position.
In order for a nominee to become an official candidate, they must send in a Candidate declaration form and pay the candidacy fee of $100. This must be done by Nov.10 at 6 p.m. Instructions for doing this can be obtained by emailing Shaw at support@onefeather.ca or calling the One Feather office at 250-384-8200 or toll free at 1-855-923-3006.
鈥淭he election will be held at the administration office Gathering Place on Dec. 19, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.,鈥� said Shaw.
The same contact information is available for anyone who wishes to mail in their ballot if they cannot attend the election in person. Shaw urged TKK voters in this position to act quickly to make sure enough time is available to deal with all necessary documents.
The need for an election was triggered by the court-ordered removal of previous Chief Councillor Clayton Charlie who came to the position via election held in April 2021. The results of that election were disputed. According to court files, TKK elector Kelsey Lorentz issued an application to contest the election on the grounds that it was conducted in contravention of the First Nations Elections Act, and that the contravention was likely to affect the result. It alleged improper practices by Charlie and that election鈥檚 electoral officer Loreen Suhr. Charlie surpassed his next two closest challengers by a combined three votes.
鈥淭he electoral officer鈥檚 reliance on Mr. Charlie deputized him such that Mr. Charlie was acting both as a candidate for office and as an integral part of the electoral process, in the capacity of a deputy electoral officer,鈥� said Lorentz鈥檚 document of claim. 鈥淭his conflation of candidate and electoral officer raises a serious appearance of conflict of interest. This is exacerbated by the fact that Mr. Charlie was delivering voting packages and collecting marked ballots at the same time, thereby requiring electors to vote in his presence or immediate vicinity.鈥�
On Sept. 8, Supreme Court Justice Paul Favel agreed that the process was questionable enough to quash the results and trigger a by-election. Calling it a 鈥渉istoric day鈥n the spirit of transparency and forward momentum,鈥� sitting Councillors Ellen Lorentz and Cecelia Sam jointly executed a resolution to hold this by-election.
