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NUNAVUT - The empty seat in Nunavut’s third legislative assembly will soon be filled by John Ningark, following a byelection in the riding of Akulliq on Monday.

Ningark garnered 193 votes to 179 for incumbent Steve Mapsalak. Ovide Alakanuark finished with 83 votes while Helena Malliki had 66 votes. Seventy-eight per cent of eligible voters turned up at the polls in Kugaaruk and Repulse Bay.

Former MLA John Ningark won the byelection in the Akulliq riding Monday and will return to the legislature. - NNSL file photo.

There were no rejected ballots.

The riding of Akulliq had previously gone to the polls on Dec. 15, which resulted in a difference of less than two per cent in the number of votes attained by front-runners Ningark, with 157 votes, and Mapsalak, with 155 votes. A judicial recount subsequently indicated a tie between the two candidates.

Malliki had received 111 votes in the first byelection, with previous candidate Marius Tungilik receiving 38 votes. Residents of the Akulliq were unable to vote in the territorial general election on Oct. 27 because Jack Anawak challenged Election Nunavut’s decision to deny him standing as a candidate in the riding based on residency requirements.

While Anawak ultimately lost his case, the byelection proceedings were put on hold pending the court’s decision.

A cabinet seat had been left open in anticipation that the Akulliq representative would be elected in December, but with the further delays due to the judicial recount, a second leadership forum proceeded in January when Tagak Curley was appointed as the last member of cabinet.

Ningark was a MLA from 1989-1999 while Nunavut was still part of the NWT and was served by the legislative assembly based in Yellowknife.