North

Na-Cho Nyak Dun election not 'above board': member

Advanced polls open Thursday for the Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation election on March 19 but some members don't understand why there is an election at all.

Advanced polls open; Former chief Ed Champion maintains he is still chief of the Mayo First Nation

Ed Champion was removed from office in January. He claims he is still chief of the Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation. (CBC)

Advanced polls open Thursday for a Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation election scheduled for later this month, but some members don't understand why there is an election at all. 

Donny Buyck says no one has explained why former chief Ed Champion was ousted or why an election has been called.

The First Nation, based in Mayo, Yukon, removed Champion from office in January, with little explanation. 

"He was elected to a four-year term, he's only done two years. We don't believe they have a valid reason — they haven't given it to us yet," says Buyck.

"And they're carrying out this election as if it's all above board - and it's not." 

Champion has said he is still chief.

Elected councillors at the First Nation have not returned calls to CBC but a notice from the Na-Cho Nyak Dun office lists two chief candidates for the March 19 election: Simon Mervyn and Albert Genier.