Métis delegates determined to have election

Months without a president of the Métis National Council (MNC), two court interventions and a general assembly gone wrong, yet Métis delegates are determined they will have an election this February.
"Definitely, there will be an election on February 23,rd there's no question about it," said Tony Belcourt, president of the Métis Nation of Ontario.
Legal battles have plagued the MNC with another court order released this January outlining their February assembly election. Belcourt said there are also unsettled lawsuits by Clem Chartier former president of the MNC against the MNC for a reported $300,000.
The most recent court intervention is a consent order that resulted after all parties involved in the first court action got together for a settlement conference on November 9, 2007. Again the court outlines how the assembly will take place. Belcourt believes this assembly will not be like the one in October.
Chartier and the Manitoba Métis Federation went to court earlier last year to seek an order against the MNC, the Métis National Council Secretariat, Audrey Poitras, President of Métis Nation of Alberta, Tony Belcourt, and President of the Ontario Métis, Robert Doucette, and Bruce Dumont, President of the B.C. Métis.
The order outlines how the assembly should take place in October, but that is not how it happened.
"We were in an awkward situation, the chair left the assembly and sort of left us, and because that person was under a court order, when he left there was no way that we could meet, so everything was left in the air," said Tony Belcourt.
The Chairperson appointed by the September court order is Dale LaClair, who is also the Chief Administrative Officer of the MNC, left the assembly because, as Belcourt describes it, "a heck of a controversy was raised with threats aimed at the chair."
The controversy was about the Métis Nation of Alberta list of delegates being disputed by David Chartrand, President of the Manitoba Métis Federation. Chartrand made a motion that the MNA did not meet all the legal requirements in accordance with MNC by-laws.
"The MMF stood alone on this issue at the last assembly, because even though the four presidents stood together, their board of directors of their provinces didn't stand with them and that's why I didn't let certain votes go into play," said Chartrand.
Duly elected representatives were left out of the voting process because of an agenda set by certain presidents to have their choice of president installed, Chartrand said. The agenda behind this, said Chartrand, is about past personal issues with Chartier, and because he did not support B.C. and Ontario in having more than five votes in the national assembly. Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba all have 15.
"What they wanted to do was to dominate the decision making process of the assembly and that is what their goal was and they needed those extra votes potentially from Alberta. But what they did not anticipate is that they did not have the support of the people behind them," said Chartrand.
"There has never been a decision made by the MNC in all the years going as far back as I've read minutes that any other province has ever interfered in the delegate process," said Audrey Poitras, President of Metis Nation of Alberta.
"The MNA put together their delegate list, read out at role call at the assembly and the MMF challenged MNA's list. Fifteen delegates were there though not the total provincial council, but it's not usual for any province to name their own delegates without interference from other provinces," said Poitras.
The MNA president gave Windspeaker her version about what went astray.
"Clem Chartiers' term expired in October 2006, but based on not being able to call a general election due to the situation in Saskatchewan, we only came back together as a board in July. And, based on a motion that was put forward that was not properly authorized at the MNC level, Clem was continuing to act as president," explained Poitras.
There has been an acting MNC president legally since 2006, she added.
The situation in Saskatchewan lead to people being charged with fraud and the MNA along with MNBC were not at the table because the concern about the legitimacy of the Saskatchewan election, said Poitras.
She attended the Board of Governors (BOG) meeting where Chartier a Métis from Saskatchewan was given an extension to his term for another year, but not as a voting member.
"The position that the Métis Nation of Alberta council took was that I would be in attendance to observe and to ensure that no decisions that were made would be detrimental to the Métis Nation of Alberta," said Poitras.
"Chartier's position was extended by a motion made by Chartrand and supported by the interim president of the Saskatchewan Métis nation. Belcourt clearly opposed the motion as per the minutes.
The by-laws are very clear that every motion of the board of governors needs to be supported by majority, which is three governors at the table," said Poitras.
The July BOG meeting where a motion carried by four of its five regional members, saw Clem Chartier removed as President. Appointed as interim president was Bruce Dumont, President of the Métis Nation of British Columbia. Dumont's presidency was nullified by an order from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in September.
This February's assembly candidates for presidency will be nominated on the day of the assembly.
According to Belcourt, there won't by any nomination process prior to the assembly. He believes the people who are going to be running are contacting their delegates now.
A lot of speculation is going around as to who will run. Chartier, the former president of the national council announced his intention to run for President at the last assembly. Dumont is also believed to be in the running for president.