Begaye: Don’t delay election, people ready to vote

Posted by Cindy Yurth | Dec 18, 2014 | Election 2014 |

CHINLE

At a campaign rally last Thursday in Chinle — home of not only his opponent, Joe Shirley Jr., but also the man who is trying to get his name off the ballot, Myron McLaughlin — presidential candidate Russell Begaye and his running mate Jonathan Nez managed to draw about 30 people with a message of “healing and reconciliation.”

Up the street at the Holiday Inn, however, ousted candidate Chris Deschene’s supporters were not in a conciliatory mood. They were planning a rally in Window Rock next week to press for a write-in option on the ballot, something the Navajo Nation currently doesn’t have.

Begaye and Nez both said they are getting a clear message from the Navajo people, particularly the elders, that they want to put the ugliness of the current election mess behind them.

“The people are saying, ‘Let’s move on,’” Begaye said. “People are saying, ‘We’re ready to vote.’”

Begaye said he and Shirley are in agreement that the best thing for the nation would be to hold the election as soon as possible.

“What we’re concerned about is the negative impact (the delay) is making across the (American) nation,” Begaye said in a pre-rally interview. “People are saying, ‘You’re the biggest tribe with the largest land base in the country! What are you doing?’ It impacts our credibility.”