Election
grievance ends with settlement
By Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — One of the five hearings over election
protests of candidates running for the same office ended Monday afternoon
with a
settlement in which the challenger accepted his defeat for Sweet Water
Chapter President.
In reaching the settlement, complainants David Tsosie and poll worker
Sadie Tsosie spent about an hour with tribal justice division attorney
Regina Holyan and Northern
Agency elections manager Virginia Nelson-Charley. Elections Director Edison
J. Wauneka acted as interpreter.
Chief Hearing Officer Marcella King-Ben had recessed the hearing in Room 107
of the Navajo Nation Quality Inn office wing shortly after it started so the
two sides could reach the settlement.
When the hearing reconvened, Holyan said there are two points to the settlement
in which David Tsosie questioned three separate counts for the four-year office
which pays about $6,600 a year in meeting stipends.
Tsosie agreed to accept the first of the three counts because it was the only
done entirely by machine, without people touching the ballots. That count showed
he trailed Lena Clark by a 42-vote margin, 237-195.
The tribal attorney said the process of how the voting machines work was explained
first. Then they discussed the second and third votes.
His second concern had to be addressed by Wauneka and Nelson-Charley. It had
to do with a poll worker providing translations and participating in recounts.
The election officials agreed what happened shouldn't have happened.
Still remaining to be concluded Dec. 7 (and 9, if needed) at Sky City Casino's
conference room are the counter-grievances in the To' Hajiilee Chapter. Raymond
Secatero and Ronnie Hurley are challenging results in the race for president
and vice-prsident.
Allegations of possible fraud with the ballot box and alleged violations of
campaigning within the restricted area at the poll were leveled at a poll worker
said to
favor the incumbents.
Incumbent President Tony Secatero edged Raymond Secatero by two votes although
it was initially announced right after the poll closed on Nov. 2 that the challenger
had won by three votes.
Because of the grievance by one candidate against another, the Board of Election
Supervisors withheld the canvass for the three offices, but approved all the
other offices on the chapter ballot, on Nov. 18, as it did with Sweet Water
President's position.
To contact reporter Jim Maniaci, telephone (505) 371-5443.
|
Tuesday
November 30, 2004
Selected Stories:
Attorney: DA's case is vindictive
Courthouse renovations nearly complete
Jackson steps down
Females to be focus of World AIDS
Day
Deputies probing suspicious death
Election grievance ends
with settlement
Resources, public safety
panels travel outside of Navajo Nation for meetings
Deaths
|
