Consensus reached on Election Law amendments, working group to be formed

03/21/2012

The Kahnaw�:ke Legislative Coordinating Commission announced that consensus was reached at last evening�s Community Consultation on proposed amendments to the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Election Law.

The scope, purpose and intent were clarified and the list of amendments finalized. A working group will be created to begin the process of drafting the amendments, which will include technicians, three community members and an alternate selected by the meeting�s participants. The community members are Matthew Stacey, Lori Jacobs and Angus L. Montour. Joanne Patton is the alternate.

The list of amendments includes criteria for candidates; chiefs� accountability; the number of Council Chiefs; and the creation of consistency between the Election Law and the Kahnaw�:ke Membership Law.

�I think we were pleasantly surprised that we reached this point in the process so quickly,� said Commission Coordinator Kahente Horn-Miller.  �Once again, though the numbers weren�t overwhelming, I was extremely impressed with the level of participation by those present. Last night�s meeting was quite successful, both in terms of consensus-building and the respectful and positive manner that people displayed.� 

The minutes and other information from last night�s meeting will be made available shortly at >b>www.kahnawakemakingdecisions.com. Copies of the current law, the community consultation feedback report, and other relevant information are available on the website as well.