Elections on hold
Unama’ki communities postpone votes
MEMBERTOU — The COVID-19 pandemic has halted some community members from casting their ballots for their next chief and council teams.
Membertou First Nation made the decision in April to postpone elections until the fall with the clearance from their electoral officer, Chris Laporte. They were given a six-month extension from the original date of June 11.
“We’re kind of on standby, that’s our goal and our aim to have them in the fall but if the second wave comes we're going to have to sit down with the electoral officer and decide together if we postpone it or not, but I hope we don’t,” said Chief Terry Paul of Membertou First Nation.
Paul said these elections are an important part of a democratic society and the people's voices need to be heard. But any election plans will be cleared and discussed with the provincial health authority to ensure the safety of community members.
Chief Rod Googoo of We'koqma'q First Nation said their elections have been pushed back to February. He wanted to remind people the province is still under a state of emergency. Chief Leroy Denny said his team in Eskasoni First Nation is waiting until the deadline to make any decisions because of health concerns.
Chief Wilbert Marshall of Potlotek First Nation and Chief Norman Bernard of Wagmatcook First Nation said they're only in year two of a four-year term.
“We're good to go — the next election isn't for another two years,” said Bernard.
Band elections are governed under the First Nations Election Act and in the last few years many communities have switched from two-year terms to four-year terms. Paul said that's been refreshing.
“I think it was really good and it gave us a lot more time to plan things and to get things done. It's a lot of never-ending work,” said Paul.
Under the old two-year terms, Paul said as he started one term, then had to begin thinking about the next election. He said four-year terms allow him to focus on lasting solutions. As for the pending election, Paul said he's focused on steering his community through the pandemic.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic all of my energy has been focused on seeing our community's health and safety through these hard times. And while I remain focused on that, I will consider my next steps in the fall,” said Paul.