SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Two Yellowknife MLAs who filed a complaint earlier this year about Premier Floyd Roland's extramarital affair with a clerk at the legislative assembly are asking that the upcoming inquiry be kept from the public.

Premier Floyd Roland The inquiry into Premier Roland's affair is set to run from Sept. 8 to Sept. 11 and from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9, so as not to conflict with the next session of the assembly.

Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay and Frame Lake's Wendy Bisaro were the only two out of the six MLAs who originally made the complaint back in February to attend a preliminary hearing yesterday where Ramsay asked sole adjudicator Ted Hughes to keep the doors closed for the inquiry.

"Given the nature of the complaint, I don't see a real benefit in conducting the inquiry in a public format," said Ramsay.

"It could turn into quite a soap opera, and I don't know what anyone would gain from that."

The MLAs complained to Gerard Gerrand, the NWT's Conflict of Interest Commissioner, after learning the premier was having an affair with Patricia Russell, clerk of standing committees of the legislative assembly. Last May, Gerrand found there were "reasonable grounds" to precede with an inquiry and appointed Hughes as its adjudicator.

The six complainants, MLAs Ramsay, Bisaro, Glen Abernethy, Jane Groenewegen, Bob Bromley and David Krutko voiced concerns that Russell was passing on information to Roland from meetings where cabinet ministers were excluded during several months last summer and fall when they're relationship remained a secret.

Ramsay defended his request yesterday, arguing the inquiry didn't involve "financial mismanagement or an issue of that nature," and because of that the public should be barred out of respect for privacy for Roland, his estranged wife and their six children.

He said recommendations on how to deal with the outcome of the inquiry will come before the legislative assembly at some point, although he wouldn't say what those might be.

Bisaro said she was in full support of Ramsay's request.

When contacted yesterday, Groenewegen, who often pairs up in the legislative assembly with Ramsay in attacking Roland and his government, said she had no idea he was going to ask for a private inquiry but said the move was something she might support.

"I didn't know he was going to do that," said the Hay River South MLA.

"I have a great deal of respect for my colleague Mr. Ramsay and I'm sure he's sensitive to the subject matter of this inquiry."

Roland's lawyer made no request for a private inquiry during yesterday's hearing but didn't rule out the possibility at a future date.

The first day for the inquiry is Sept. 8, where Hughes will hear arguments from the six MLAs, Roland and media organizations as to why the inquiry should be either public or private. Additional dates have been set for Sept. 11, Oct. 5 and Oct. 9.

Hughes said he too was surprised by Ramsay's request.

"I had not expected it, I had no pre-warning of it, nor should I have but it's a matter I need to give considerable attention to and thought," said Hughes. "There are circumstances where that rule can be altered and an order as such as Mr. Ramsay seeks can be made. It's reasonable because the act allows that to happen."

Dates for the inquiry are set to run from Sept. 8 to Sept. 11 and from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9, so as not to conflict with the next session of the assembly.