after hours of deliberation, the council, in the wee hours after midnight, passed a resolution dissolving the Navajo language fluency requirement for presidential candidates.
The Council reports, with a vote of 11-10, the Council approves Legislation No. 0298-14, amending language requirements in the Navajo Nation Election Code. The resolution now goes to the Office of the President for consideration.
the bill passed would be retroactive to the 2014 election so it seems this would validate the candidacy of Christopher Deschene.
The issue is not yet settled, as president Ben Shelly has 10 days to approve or veto the measure
More statements from candidates coming later today on the heels of this dramatic , heavily debated decision by the full council.
link here: http://navajotimes.com/...
and here: http://www.daily-times.com/...
additional info from a Capitol times Article as follows:
"An attorney representing a group of Navajos who support Deschene sent a letter to the board Thursday threatening a lawsuit if the Nov. 4 election is stopped or the official ballot is changed. The group said a general election can be postponed before it begins but not halted once Navajos begin casting ballots.
Election officials asked attorneys Thursday for clarification on the Supreme Court order, including whether the entire general election should be postponed or just the presidential election. The order requires that the third-place finisher from the presidential primary be moved up to replace Deschene.
The Navajo Board of Election Supervisors was scheduled to reconvene Friday.
“This really has set the stage for a battle between the legislative and the judicial branches, and certainly Chris is hopeful that the legislative branch enacts a fix, and he prevails,” Deschene spokeswoman Stacy Pearson said."
Read more: http://azcapitoltimes.com/...