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Lutsel K'e band votes

Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Snowdrift (Feb 28/05) - The leadership of the Lutsel K'e Dene Band remains a bit of a puzzle, even after the Feb. 24 election.

Band members elected a new council, but there is some question whether it was done legally. As well, a planned vote for a new chief did not go ahead Feb. 24 as planned.

The band membership voted Feb. 7 to remove Chief Archie Catholique - who still claims to be the legal leader of the band - and his council.

An Interim Leadership Committee was set up after Catholique and his council were ousted.

After the Feb. 24 election, the council consists of Albert Boucher, Addie Jonasson, Richard Marlowe, Terry Enzoe, David Nataway and Brenda Michel.

In a Feb. 22 letter to the committee, George Cleary, DIAND's director of Indian and Inuit services, raised concerns about the validity of the Feb. 24 election.

"There is no question that the First Nation's Custom Election Code, dated June 19, 2003, was ratified by the membership, but there is no documentation that the 'draft Constitution and Bylaws' document, which contains the recall provisions, was ratified," Cleary wrote.

"If this is true, then there would be some doubt in the validity of the public meeting process and purported Feb. 24th election."

Cleary says he has asked the band to provide evidence the constitution and bylaws were ratified.

Meanwhile, Catholique is threatening legal action.

"I am the chief and I don't intend to resign," he said Friday, adding he doesn't recognize the new council. "The old council has to come back."

Catholique believes the membership had no grounds to remove him.

Opponents accuse him of financial mismanagement, conflict of interest involving family members working for the band and lack of communication with membership.

Despite numerous attempts, no member of the new council or the band's Interim Leadership Committee could be reached for comment.