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Mercredi wins chief's job - barely

Author

Debora Lockyer, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Saskatoon

Volume

12

Issue

7

Year

1994

Page 1

It wasn't the easiest won election battle in history by any means. The 60 per cent voter support needed to name the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations seemed elusive, much to the frustration of incumbent Ovide Mercredi.

By the first ballot he had almost conquered the benchmark with 54 per cent support and by the end of the third ballot had only just surpassed it with 60.8 per cent.

But a win is a win is a win, and the 49-year-old Cree from Manitoba captured his second consecutive term of office during the early hours of July 7. Despite a determined effort by four challengers to block his way, the slim margin of support was enough to placer Mercredi in the seat of power for another three years.

The AFN election for national chief began at approximately 9:30 a.m. July 6. Speculation on the outcome ran rampant through the auditorium of Saskatoon Place. If Mercredi didn't take it on the first ballot, he wouldn't take it at all, thought many chiefs.

Home town favorite Delia Opekokew of Canoe Lake, Sask. pressed palms in

an attempt to expand her support, which seemed limited to some Saskatchewan chiefs. Konrad Sioui of Huron-Wyandot Nation had all but conceded the race. He was rumored to have made a pact with Opekokew for his support.

There were 458 votes to be had, 105 in B.C. alone. The B.C. caucus had determined to vote as a block for Mercredi, but some renegades, such as Erling Christensen, who had the proxy vote for Lheit'Lit'en of Prince George, were just as determined to block the block and vote for anyone but the incumbent.

The 69 chiefs in Saskatchewan would be split on the first ballot but ultimately would vote as a block for Mercredi, said Chief Roland Crowe of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.

Although there had been some feeling Mercredi was out of touch with the grassroots, a precondition of Saskatchewan's support was more involvement from the community level," said Crowe.

"We have insisted that that change be made and that is part of an understanding with the national chief in the event he is successful," Crowe said.

The Saskatchewan chiefs felt Mercredi would advance their individual interests better than any other candidate, he said. Key bread-and-and butter issues of concern

to the FSIN were diminishing federal housing dollars and economic development. A requirement of the national chief will be to make presentations to Ottawa on those issues, said Crowe.

By 2 p.m. the first ballot had been counted. The magic number for a win was 274 votes. Mercredi fell short by just 27 votes with 247. Opekokew was automatically dropped from the upcoming ballot with 30 votes, the least amount of support. Holding on by a hair's breath was Sioui with 31 votes.

Mercredi's strongest opponent was Wally McKay from Sachigo lake First nation with 95 votes. Mohawk leader Mike Mitchell from Akweasne garnered a disappointing 54 votes.

It was time for assessment. Mitchell was concerned that Mercredi was too far ahead to catch. An alliance among the other candidates to stop Mercredi had been loosely formed, but it was unclear if it would hang together, he said.

Sioui dropped off the ballot and attempted to organize an "Anyone but Ovide" movement.

"We only have one shot at this," he was heard to tell his supporters. He expected Opekokew's support to go to Mitchell and Sioui's to McKay.

"Why McKay?" he was asked.

"Because he is going to make a beautiful national chief," said Sioui.

But Opekokew made other arrangements and announced her support of Mercredi.

The second ballot showed Mercredi, McKay and Mitchell in the running. The total number of ballots cast was 462. Sixty-per-cent support would mean garnering 277 votes. Mercredi fell short by two. He had captured 59.52 per cent of the vote. The missing half-a-per-cent forced a third ballot.

"We have some pretty strict rules," a grim-faced Mercredi told reporters. He predicted a factor in the next ballot would be the staying power of th chiefs. Voting began at 9:15 p.m. and didn't end until after midnight. The crowd was exhausted, and some were showing signs of extreme frustration.

Mitchell dropped off the ballot with only 77 votes and pledged his support to McKay. McKay posed the lone threat to Mercredi with 100 votes.

The third ballot counting ended just before 1:30 a.m. July 7. The movement to block Mercredi from another three years as national chief failed. This time, 449 ballots were cast with 270 needed to win. Mercredi supporters numbered 273.

McKay was gracious in defeat. He asked for each of the candidate's forgiveness for anything he may have said during the campaign that may have offended. He called on his supporters to now support the decision made by the majority.

"Let's not let this process divide us," McKay said. But the words did not mend the rift. It soon became apparent that Mercredi had only a few short hours to bask in the glory of his victory.