#election

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The three new members of the Band Council of the Micmac Nation of Gespeg have expressed their commitment to working collaboratively with the other elected officials, following their swearing-in ceremony on July 17.

Mark Sinnett, Placide Jeannotte, and Linda Jean were elected in a by-election held on July 13 to fill vacant council positions.

All three are members of the Elders’ Circle, which had contested the results of last fall’s election, arguing that it failed to respect the Nation’s customs and traditions.

“We have been given a mandate and the trust of our members, who have told us that they want us to work together. It is in this spirit that we will begin and continue our mandate,” said Linda Jean, who was designated to speak on behalf of the three elected officials.

Among their priorities are becoming familiar with key issues and working for the well-being of the community.

Following the September 2023 election, the Elders called for a review of the Electoral Code.
“This is a priority for everyone at the table. There are things to correct, look at, and discuss together,” said Ms. Jean.

At one point, the Elders even considered legal action.

“The key words in our campaign were communication and working together. Yes, the courts are there, but to be able to make concrete decisions, it’s better to be on the inside,” said Ms. Jean.
Since the next election isn’t scheduled until September 2028, there is time to reach a consensus on potential reforms.

In October, the Elders launched a petition to try to invalidate the results of the September election. Their primary concern was that the notice of candidacy and election was sent only by email to voting members, rather than by mail, which is the community’s customary method of communication.
They argued that this had caused “serious harm to our population” by depriving many of their right to vote.

The petition collected 375 signatures.

The current interpretation of the Electoral Code leaves much room for ambiguity and does not address all scenarios—particularly when contentious situations arise, as they did in the last election, which resulted in a tie between two candidates.

The petition was rejected by the sitting Council, which ruled that the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Chief Electoral Officer.

As a result of the decision, the candidate who finished third in the election ultimately became Chief.
After the initial petition, a second was launched in January, this time calling for the complete removal of the Council. However, that request went unanswered.