Voter group threatening recall action if funds approved for April 21 election

WINDOW ROCK

Recall and impeachment will happen, if members of the 23rd Navajo Nation Council and Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly sign into law money for the April 21 election.

This is according to the Navajo Voter’s Rights Coalition, whose concerned members have vowed to do whatever it takes to have their voices and voting rights heard.

Edison Chip Begay, one of the 17 original presidential candidates that ran in the primary, said he’s deeply concerned about the confusion instigated by Chief Justice Herb Yazzie.

On Feb. 20, Yazzie ordered the election between Russell Begaye and Joe Shirley, Jr., to occur as soon as possible, with April 21 being the election date set by the Navajo Election Administration.

The election will also include six vacant Navajo Board of Election Supervisors’ positions.

In his order, Yazzie also invalidated or ordered two bills that the 22nd Council passed in December “null and void.” Those two resolutions would have called for a new primary and general election with the possibility of the 17 primary candidates running, and the pardoning of members of the former Navajo Board of Election Supervisors.

“I solely support the Council’s action and strongly encourage each delegate to demonstrate potent tactics as set forth by Chief Justice Herb Yazzie and the Court,” said Begay.

Aside from the typical claims by the coalition — that their voting rights were violated and the language fluency test administered to presidential hopeful Christopher Clark Deschene, which led to his removal, was biased —  Begay said current laws need to reflect the diverse Navajo society.

“The laws must be applied equally and protect each individual without bias,” said Begay, who is the vice president for the Eastern Agency Navajo Voter’s Rights Coalition.

The stance of the coalition and Begay comes after an inaugural convention, called the Navajo Voter’s Rights Coalition Convention, on Feb. 22 in Window Rock.

There, many of the members expressed their frustration with the political electoral process and revealed they were going to do whatever they had to, to prevent the election between Begaye and Shirley from occurring.

Some members voiced voting “No Confidence” on their ballots.

And as of Wednesday, they are planning to protest at the March 13 special Navajo Nation Council session.

Specifically, they are organizing to oppose and pressure members of the Council not to pass a bill being sponsored by Council delegate Dwight Witherspoon that would allocate funds for the April 21 election.

According to the bill, $317,891 in supplemental funding for the election will come from the Unreserved, Undesignated Fund Balance.

“This is a love boat he’s captain of and look out for the iceberg in front of him — the Navajo Voter’s Rights Coalition,” Begay said about Yazzie.

“No more buddy system, all that is going down.”

Bess Seschillie, of Crownpoint, also voiced her concerns, noting that the coalition speaks for all Navajo voters.

“It’s a whole Nation issue, no matter who you voted for,” she said.

“The courts are very biased and it was predetermined from the get-go.”

Seschillie added that the state of the Navajo Nation government is nothing but corruption, especially when it comes to transparency among the elected and politically appointed leaders.

“They don’t listen to their own interpretation of transparency,” Seschillie said.

“The people don’t exist anymore.”

From being part of the coalition, Seschillie has met several Navajo people that have lost faith in government, including an 89-year-old Black Mesa, Ariz., native.

According to Seschillie, the elderly man has not exercised his right to vote in 40 years because of what he considers rampant corruption.

Seschillie appreciated the efforts of Council delegates Leonard Tsosie and Nathaniel Brown for sponsoring bills that would have allowed for a write-in candidate during the presidential election and amending language fluency requirements.

“They listen to the voice of their people,” she said, adding that the coalition is going to make changes to the political system of the Navajo government.

On Saturday, the coalition is hosting a fundraiser at the Hilton Garden Inn in Gallup, beginning at 1 p.m.

Information: Edison “Chip” Begay at 505-879-0118.

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