DISTRICT CHIEF REMOVED FROM OFFICE BY PETITION

The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne is notifying the community that Kawehno:ke District Chief Vincent ‘Vince’ Thompson has been removed from office as of July 17, 2023, by community petition. 

 

According to Section 16 (2)(a) of the Akwesasne Election Law, a petition to remove a District Chief must be signed by “an equal number of votes plus one from the official total number of votes” that the District Chief received on election/by-election day. 

 

District Chief Vince Thompson was voted into office on June 26, 2021, in the Akwesasne General Election, for a three-year term. Thompson received 115 votes and took an oath of office on July 9, 2021. 

 

On June 29, 2023, at the MCA General Meeting, a petition to remove District Chief Vince Thompson was submitted by a community member. 

The signatures were examined by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Leona Benedict with the following results reported: 

Total number signed: 158 
Eligible voters: 127 
Illegible/Could not identify: 31 

 

The required number of signatures to remove District Chief Vince Thompson was 115 plus 1=116. Therefore, with 127 signatures the petition was verified. 

 

Section 16.(5) of the Akwesasne Election Law requires that the results of the petition be delivered at a General Meeting and that Council “shall declare the member removed and order a By-Election for that position.” The results were officially delivered at the July 17, 2023 Special General Meeting. 

 

CEO Benedict has announced that a By-Election for one Kawehno:ke District Chief position for the remainder of the 2021-2024 term will take place on Saturday, September 2, 2023. Location to be determined.

 

Nominations will be held on Saturday, August 19, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Location to be determined.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Chief Electoral Officer Leona Benedict at 613-575-2250 ext. 2406.