Two Pond Inlet candidates to contest Sept. 16 Tununiq byelection

Two Pond Inlet residents will contest a byelection this Sept. 16 that’s being held to fill the vacancy created last March by the death of the former Tununiq MLA, Joe Enook.

Charlie Enuarak. (Elections Nunavut photo)

The two candidates, both of whom filed declarations of candidacy this past Aug. 16, are Charlie Enuarak and David Qajaakuttuk Qamaniq.

Enuarak, 72, a community leader for many years, served as mayor of Pond Inlet until 2017.

David Qamaniq, who served as mayor of Pond Inlet from 2005 to 2007 and spent 12 years on the local district education authority, has been working most recently as a community co-ordinator at the Qikiqtani Inuit Association office in Pond Inlet.

Qamaniq ran in the October 2017 territorial election, finishing second with 146 votes, while Enook won the seat with 258 votes. Jeannie Mills came third with 102 votes.

David Qajaakuttuk Qamaniq. (Elections Nunavut photo)

Joshua Arreak, a former hamlet councillor, had submitted a declaration of candidacy, but withdrew it by the end of the day last Friday.

If you’re a Tununiq resident, you can vote at the high school gym on election day, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Also, you can vote early at the office of the returning officer each day from Sept. 2 to Sept. 11, from 12 noon until 7 p.m.

And Elections Nunavut will do a mobile poll on Sept. 9 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The Tununiq seat, which comprises Pond Inlet, became vacant following the death of veteran MLA and regional leader Joe Enook this past March 29.

Enook, who was first elected to the seat in 2011, was re-elected in the Oct. 30, 2017, territorial election and in November 2017 was chosen to serve as Speaker.

The final list of candidates is now posted on our website.

ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᑦ ᑎᑎᖃᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᒐᒃᓴᙳᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐃᓕᔭᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᕆᑕᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᒋᐊᕐᕕᑉᑎᖕᓂᑦ https://t.co/cfCf3mqu0W
— Elections Nunavut ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ (@elections_nu) August 16, 2019