Rankin Inlet (Oct 29/03) - A Rankin Inlet councillor is refusing to resign his position after a hamlet employee accused him of sexual harassment.

The accusation came in a letter to hamlet council which asked Coun. David Ningeongan to step down.

The motion passed by council read: "Based on a complaint from a hamlet employee, that Coun. David Ningeongan be requested to step down as a hamlet councillor." The motion was passed by a 3-0 count during council's Oct. 6 meeting. A second motion removed Ningeongan from the council's lands committee.

Councillors Leonard Forbes, Justin Merritt and David Ittinuar voted in favour of the motion asking for the resignation.

Councillors Robert Janes and Laura Kowmuk abstained.

Ningeongan refused to comment on the complaint but when asked if he had any intention of resigning as a councillor, his reply was a terse, "No!"

Mayor Lorne Kusugak said the motion to ask the councillor to step down cannot go any further.

"The council does not have the absolute authority to remove people," said Kusugak.

"We can only pass a motion asking someone to resign and that's what our councillors did in this situation. Council did everything it could to deal with the issue and that's where we stand now."

Neither the mayor nor hamlet councillors would speak to the specifics of the complaint against Ningeongan.

Coun. Kowmuk did ask SAO Ron Roach to obtain a copy of the Nunavut government's sexual harassment policy to use as a guide in developing a similar policy for hamlet councillors.

"That initiative has moved forward," said Roach. "At our last personnel committee meeting I gave them a copy of the seven-page sexual harassment policy we have now, for employees only.

Mayor Kusugak confirmed the policy initiative would move forward.

"It's only been two weeks since we dealt with the issue, so I anticipate if not this council, then the next one will have to deal with the matter."