Robert Greenley handily wins Kitikmeot Inuit Association presidency

Kitikmeot Inuit Association has a new president after Robert Greenley earned nearly twice the number of votes as the second-place finisher in Monday’s election.

Greenley told Nunatsiaq News he was “surprised and a bit shocked” to win so decisively.

“I want to thank all the people that supported me through this campaign,” Greenley said. “It means a lot.”

After a long day Monday as the association held votes for both its presidency and vice-president of social and cultural development, the call with the results came shortly after midnight, Greenley said.

Greenley, from Cambridge Bay, won with 323 votes. David Akoak received 174, Simon Komangat got 146, David Nivingalok received 102 and Simon Qinqnaqtuq had 52 votes.

The 52-year-old steps into a vacant position from which former president Stanley Anablak resigned on Oct. 3. Greenley will be sworn in during the second week of January.

Greenley’s campaign was focused on the issues of poverty and homelessness.

“It’s a big thing we’ve seen for quite awhile now,” he said.

In a previous interview with Nunatsiaq News, Greenley said he believes he will be a good president because he is willing to be vocal and get tasks finished.

This position will not be Greenley’s first as a leader, as he has been chairperson of the Ekaluktutiak Hunters and Trappers Organization for the past eight years.

Initiatives at the HTO during Greenley’s tenure include getting a new office building in 2019, a social protection program and a program for monitoring shoreline erosion.

On Tuesday, Greenley said he is excited to meet the staff at the association and see “what we can come up with to deal with some of the issues they were working on.”

In the race for vice-president of social and cultural development, Raymond Quqshuun Sr., from Gjoa Haven, defeated the only other candidate, incumbent Bob Aknavigak.

Quqshuun received 456 votes, while Aknavigak received 337. He was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

Quqshuun is a corporate director for the Nunavut Water Board. He has worked for the Department of Education, Gjoa Haven’s housing association and the Hamlet of Gjoa Haven.

He has volunteered on Gjoa Haven’s housing board and education board, and was chairperson of Nunavut’s liquor licensing board.

The Kitikmeot Inuit Association did not provide voter turnout data as of Tuesday morning.

Both the president and vice-president of social and cultural development are four-year positions.