Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Jan 25/99) - News/North would like to give all of the candidates running in Nunavut's first election on Feb. 15, 1999, the opportunity to participate in a Nunavut-wide, all-candidates forum.

We feel that this opportunity will allow candidates to express their campaign issues and beliefs to more of their constituents and to other Nunavut residents.

We ask that all candidates participate by writing a one-paragraph statement that discusses the current issues she or he believe to be the most important to their community and to Nunavut. Please fax (867-979-6010) or e-mail (editor@nunavutnews.com) your submissions to our Iqaluit Bureau NO LATER THAN Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. (ET). We also request that you send us a photo to run with your submission.

The entries will appear in a special section of News/North on Feb. 1, 1999. For more information, please call Kerry McCluskey collect at 867-979-5990.

First all-candidates forum

The Kugluktuk Chamber of Commerce is one of the first community groups to organize and sponsor an all-candidates forum for Nunavut's upcoming election.

All electors in the Kitikmeot community are encouraged to attend the forum that gets under way on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. in the community complex.

Each election candidate will be given a five-minute opportunity to make a presentation and will then be asked four questions by the moderator of the forum. The public will also be given the opportunity to question each of the four candidates running in Kugluktuk's riding.

Official electors

Ladies and gentlemen, we have an official list of electors.

So says the Elections NWT office.

According to David Hamilton, the chief electoral officer, a final list of eligible voters for Nunavut's first election has been compiled.

He explained that the number of people heading off to the polls in less than a month now totals 12,209.

"The revision period, which was Jan. 2 to 18, saw 831 electors added and 132 electors deleted from the preliminary list of electors," said Hamilton in a press release issued by his office.

If there are still people who are eligible to vote but are not on the voters list, Hamilton said they could take an oath and cast their ballots in the office of the returning officer between Feb. 1-12, or at the advance poll in their riding on Feb. 4.

NTI appointment

Nunavut Tunngavik president Jose Kusugak announced last week that John Merritt had been appointed to a position in the NTI Ottawa office.

Kusugak said Merritt would serve as both the constitutional advisor and as legislative counsel for the Inuit organization.

Once his new job became effective on Jan. 4, Merritt started work on national constitutional issues, legislation affecting the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement and as the liaison with other Inuit organizations.

Merritt has worked with NTI in the past as well as the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut, the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada, the Nunavut Implementation Commission and the federal government.