Electoral officer blasts council

Valerie Baptiste says ‘collapsed government’ needs ‘new election’

A woman who claims she’s the rightful electoral officer for the Penticton Indian Band is again calling for a halt to the current byelection process, which is being run under dispute.

Valerie Baptiste issued a statement Wednesday in which she declared “we have a collapsed government,” and called for “a whole new election of the Penticton Indian Band chief and council.”

She also claims the band manager has not provided a “reasonable response” in answer to questions about why she was replaced by a third-party contractor to administer the Nov. 22 byelection to fill five seats on council that were emptied by resignations.

“My position as electoral officer has nothing to do with politics or governance of the Penticton Indian Band. My responsibility is to carry out the process of the election by custom code — voted in by the people, for the people,” Baptiste added.

She goes on to tell the chief and remaining three councillors her statement constitutes the third such declaration of a collapsed government and adds, “You have been put on notice the same way you have been addressing the community members, through the news media.”

Baptiste’s second declaration came at a fiery nomination meeting Oct. 11, when she declared the proceedings illegal.

She also suggested she was dismissed as electoral officer after more than 20 years in the position because she told the chief and remaining three councillors they no longer had a quorum and needed to call a new election.

Band spokeswoman Dawn Russell declined comment late Wednesday afternoon, noting she hadn’t had a chance to discuss Baptiste’s statement with council.

The band in September issued a statement in which it claimed it replaced Baptiste to avoid any perception of bias and insisted the four remaining elected officials still have a mandate to govern.

Council was only elected last December.

Among the five who have resigned is former chief Jonathan Kruger, who stepped down to protest what he described as ineffective leadership and personal attacks on the part of current Chief Chad Eneas.

Kruger was also among six excouncillors sued by the band in October over a dispute related to shares in band-owned businesses.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada said previously it has no plans to wade into the band’s byelection, but would monitor the situation.