TLICHO - Voters chose new chiefs to lead three of the four Tlicho regions during last Monday's elections, unseating a trio of community chiefs who had disputed the leadership abilities of their grand chief.

In Behchoko, Clifford Daniels won the position, with Bertha Rabesca-Zoe in second place and incumbent chief Leon Lafferty coming up third. In Whati, Alfonz James Nitsiza defeated his brother, incumbent Charlie Nitsiza and in Gameti, Eddie Chocolate beat incumbent Henry Gon by seven votes.

Voters in Wekweeti were the only ones to re-elect their current chief, Charlie Football. The chief-elects will take office July 27.

Daniels, who served as chief of Behchoko for a year and a half in 2004, said his election win "feels good inside" and gives him a chance to accomplish unfinished goals he had the last time he was in office, such as improving the youth centre and beautifying the community.

"I want to create unity once again. Not only within the community but within the region, all the chiefs," he said. "I really think we have the broad range of councillors there that we can kind of address all of the issues at hand within the community."

Whati winner Nitsiza said he's now thinking about how to get back to a healthy working relationship with the other chiefs and the Tlicho government.

"Some people still have ill feelings toward others, I think, because of the dispute. It's impacted the communities and families so we need to kind of be friends again and have a good feeling. If you feel good then a lot can be accomplished."

He said it wasn't an easy decision to run against his brother, but that he had talked to him about it beforehand and felt he might be doing Charlie a favour.

"He's been in the leadership for a long time and looking at him, I don't think he's happy, healthy. So I was maybe doing him a favour - step aside and take a break," Nitsiza said. "It's overwhelming; there's a lot of support," he said of his win.

"Obviously people want some new faces in the leadership."

Both Daniels and Nitsiza said some of their most important tasks upon assuming office will be appointing two members to the Tlicho government and learning to work with a new group of councillors.

Full election results from Behchoko were not available at press time.