SALT RIVER - For the second year in a row, Frieda Martselos and David Poitras are facing off to become chief of Salt River First Nation.

They are the only two candidates for chief in an election set for June 29.

In August of last year, Martselos was re-elected chief - defeating Poitras by a vote of 175 to 147.

However, in March, an arbitrator overturned the elections of Martselos and three councillors - Gloria Villebrun, Brad Laviolette and Frederick Beaulieu.

The arbitrator ruled Martselos, while supported by the three successful candidates for councillors, unduly influenced the results of the 2008 election. Martselos declined to comment on the upcoming election when contacted by News/North.

"I do not deal with Salt River First Nation issues in the media," she said. Instead, Martselos said she deals with the issues with band members, because she is accountable to them

Poitras said he is running because he believes he can do the best job as chief. The band is divided, he said. "I believe as chief I can unite not all of the people, but most of the people."

Poitras explained the divisions mostly go back to 2002. That was the year a faction of the SRFN held an impromptu election, ousted the duly-elected council and temporarily took over governing powers. The ousted council was reinstated by a court decision.

Poitras said band members have to grow past the divisions, adding he was not involved in the dispute of 2002 since he was living in Hay River at that time.

"I think people have to wake up and realize we're one nation," Poitras said. The June 29 election will also elect three councillors

The candidates for council are Beaulieu, Laviolette and Villebrun - the three winning candidates in the overturned 2008 election - and Michael Beaver, John Daniels and Edna Hamilton. The SRFN currently has three other legitimately-elected councillors.

Martselos was first elected chief in April of 2007 in a by-election. She was ousted by council after just a week, but was reinstated by a court in early 2008. In May of this year, the Federal Court of Canada appointed a receiver/manager to exercise the powers of band council until the results are declared in the June 29 election.