LLRIB Council Candidate Files Appeal

LLRIB Council Candidate Files Appeal

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 15:31

A candidate who recently fell one vote shy of winning a spot on the Lac La Ronge Indian Band council has filed an appeal.

Jude Ratt says he has been having trouble convincing the chief electoral officer to order a recount.

Ratt also says a residency clause in the band’s election act was incorrectly applied on election day, denying some of his supporters the right to vote in the La Ronge council race, including his sister.

Electoral officer Charles Whitecap won’t comment on that aspect of Ratt’s appeal, but says he delayed a decision on the recount after receiving opposing written arguments from Ratt and the eventual winner of the council seat, Larry Roberts.

However, Whitecap says he won’t be making a ruling on the recount, now that Ratt has withdrawn that written request in favour of launching an official appeal.

Ratt says he did that because he was afraid he would run out of time to launch an appeal if the recount request was eventually denied.

The appeal will now be dealt with by an outside appeals officer, Chief Pauline Okemow of the Lucky Man First Nation.