More charges laid in election investigation

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A total of nine people have been charged so far as a result of an ongoing RCMP investigation into the irregularities surrounding the May 2004 Metis Nation-Saskatchewan (MNS) election, and more charges are expected.

The latest charges were laid in early September against an adult male from North Battleford, who will make his first court appearance in North Battleford on Oct. 12, and an adult female from Maple Creek, who will appear in provincial court in Maple Creek on Oct. 13. Both individuals have been charged with forgery.

Forgery charges were laid at the end of August against three women from North Battleford, a woman from Lloydminster and a man from Saskatoon. The five are scheduled to appear in provincial court in North Battleford on Oct. 5.

The names of the accused won't be made public until after their first court appearances.

The only people to be named in charges so far are Henry Cummings of Saskatoon, charged in June with forgery, and Shane Golding of Maple Creek, charged in August with obstruction of justice.

Robert Doucette, who ran for the MNS presidency against Dwayne Roth in the last election, thinks that, in light of all the charges being laid, the current MNS leadership should step down. Doucette had originally been declared president after the election, but an additional ballot box was found at the 11th hour that contained enough votes to reverse the initial declaration.

"I think Mr. Roth should do the honorable thing ... and vacate that office along with the rest of his supporters," said Doucette. An assembly of the MNS could then be called and a new election could take place.

Doucette said he doesn't think Roth will resign and he doesn't feel he could defeat Roth in another election with the same rules and monitoring in place. But he thinks Roth will have to run in the next MNS election if he wants to try and clear his reputation.

Attempts to contact Roth for comment were unsuccessful.

In response to the problems surrounding last year's election, an independent Metis consultation panel held hearings across the province to hear Metis people's views and to recommend change to the MNS governance structure.

"We have spent a good part of the summer reviewing the report and trying to see what is the role of government and how can government support the Metis public in their aspiration for a democratic organization that will provide their leadership," said Nora Sanders, deputy minister for First Nations and Metis Relations.

"We are trying to respect the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan as an organization even though we aren't able to recognize elected leadership there. We recognize the structure of it and we recognize the Metis people and their aspiration to be seen as a Metis Nation."