While Pangnirtung recovers, QIA byelection goes ahead

Eligible Inuit beneficiaries in Pangnirtung, which came under a local state of emergency April 2 after its power plant burned down, will be asked to vote in a QIA election April 7. (FILE PHOTO)

Less than a week after an April 2 fire at Pangnirtung’s power plant caused a community-wide power outage and led to a local state of emergency, eligible Inuit beneficiaries in Pangnirtung will go to the polls April 7 to choose a community director for the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

Nancy Karetak-Lindell, the chief returning officer for the by-election, told Nunatsiaq News April 6 that the plan was to go ahead with the byelection, now that power is back on everywhere in the community.

The candidates include:

• Leopa Akpalialuk;

• Manasa Evic;

• Peter Evic;

• Hezakiah Oshutapik; and,

• Sakiasie Sowdlooapik

Polling stations will be open between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Those who cannot vote in person can vote by a proxy, the release said.

A proxy is a person who has been given permission to vote on someone else’s behalf.

For a proxy vote, two forms must be filled out: a voting form filled out by the person unable to vote in person; and a form filled out by the person acting as proxy.

Each of those forms can be downloaded from the QIA website, or picked up at the office of Pangnirtung’s community liaison officer, Sheena Machmer.

The QIA called the byelection after Tommy Akulukjuk resigned from the post this past November, citing “personal reasons.”

Because Akulukjuk resigned less than one year into his three-year term, the QIA had to fill his seat through a byelection.

A number of QIA elections in December, including for president of the Baffin Inuit organization, resulted in two recounts, and two separate court actions alleging a lack of election fairness.