Members of the Splatsin First Nation, near Enderby, B.C, are divided over whether a new election should be called just over a year into the existing council’s four-year term.
On Monday, some members, who feel the current chief and council are not providing the leadership the band needs, blockaded key band buildings to call for a new vote.
At the same time, others are supporting legal action calling for a judge to put a hold on any new election.
The pickets blocking the entrances to the community centre, health centre, and band office started around 7:30 a.m. Monday morning.
“We are here to stand up for the people. We are here to say we want a new election,” explained Splatsin band member Setatkwa Christian.
“We are losing all our resources. All our services, they can’t be delivered because there is nobody working at that main table. When your foundation, which is your leadership, is crumbling, everything underneath that crumbles and suffers, too.”
Setatkwa said demonstrators were respectfully asking people not to cross the picket lines and that everyone had followed that request.
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With signs reading “call the vote” and “change now,” those demonstrating said the current council isn’t functioning well and has left the community divided.
“Give us a chance to at least try to get new people in because right now this leadership isn’t working and it has been stated over and over and over,” said Splatsin member Laureen Felix.
According to a court document, the majority of Splatsin council did decide to order a new election last month.
However, that decision is being challenged in federal court by councillor Beverly Thomas.
Thomas’ federal court filing seeks a judicial review of the decision to order a new election and asks for an order “setting aside” the council’s election call.
The judicial review application argues the council doesn’t have the authority under the band’s election code to call a new election in the middle of a council term.
The court challenge said Beverly Thomas is bringing this application “on behalf of Splatsin band members to have their democratic rights vindicated from the last election.”
The chief plans to wait and see what comes of the court process and says his priority is ensuring the rules are followed.
“It is not that I am against this election. I am against the process. This is my first term as chief under our election code and I want to ensure we follow the proper process: that everybody has a say about who should be nominated or whether or not this election should proceed,” said Chief Doug Thomas.
Thomas is also defending the existing council’s record, saying more than a hundred band council resolutions have been passed and not getting along isn’t a reason to call a vote under the band’s election code.
“When it comes to elected position there is going to be disagreements. It comes with the territory and when you come to the table, you have to be prepared to debate,” said Doug Thomas.
The result is a community divided with those calling for a new vote planning more demonstrations, while others rally around the chief and support the court challenge.
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