Tribal council secretarial election coming
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Editor,
Because of the support of petitioners, a Secretarial Election will be conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the near future.
Presently our Tribal Constitution, under Article V- Vacancies and Removal from Office, has two Sections. Section 1: Appointing a successor to fill an unexpired term. Section 2: Any councilman who is proven guilty of improper conduct or gross neglect of duty may be expelled from the Council by a two-thirds vote of the membership of the Council voting in favor of such expulsion.
Your vote will add Section 3: Recall – Upon a petition of at least one-third of the eligible voters of the Flathead Reservation, the membership may have the power to recall any tribal council person for malfeasance, or any part of the Confederated Tribes’ Constitution.
A Petition to Recall, initiated by the tribal membership, must be typewritten, with charging language identifying the action or inaction that constituted the malfeasance or violation of the Tribes’ Constitution. The violation must be shown in clear and concise language, and placed on the Petition to Recall, along with the name and district of the council member. The petition must be signed by at least one-third of the eligible voters who were qualified to vote in the preceding election.
All Petitions to Recall a tribal council member will be filed with the Tribal Council Secretary who shall acknowledge, in writing, receipt and number of signatures on the petition. The council shall, at its next meeting after the filing of such petition, determine whether the petition as filed meets the requirements of this section of the Tribal Constitution. If the Tribal Council finds that such requirements have been complied with, it shall call a special election on such Recall Petition, with said election to be held not sooner than 30 days after the action of the Council on the petition, nor more than 60 days after the date of the Council action.
The ballot to be voted on at such special election shall contain the charging part of the petition herein above referenced. Any council member recalled through this process cannot run for Council in the future.
Sharon Rosenbaum
The People’s Voice President
Charlo
