Council: Not so fast on reducing our numbers

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — President Joe Shirley Jr. said that he is glad that Hearing Officer Carol Perry has issued an order to move forward initiatives to reduce the number of Navajo Nation Council delegates to 24 and to give the president line item veto authority.

However, a spokesman for the Council said that there is no doubt there will be an appeal on Perry’s decision.

Joshua Lavar Butler, spokesman for Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan, stated that there were concerns with the assignment of an unlicensed court judge acting as a hearing officer and misinterpretation of the election code.

“There is a great concern regarding the expansion of the use of Diné Fundamental Law in areas where it was not contemplated to be used,” he said.

The speaker’s office argument is that the Navajo people will lose individual chapter representation with a reduction to 24, he said.

Shirley said that he didn’t think anyone’s voice would be lost by decreasing the number of delegates to 24, citing the national representation to Congress by states.

Having the line item veto would be a leverage for the president, Shirley said.

“I think the Council needs to talk to the president and the president needs to talk to the Council. The two need to be working together. Oftentimes it doesn’t happen that way today,” he said.

The line item veto power would allow Shirley to eliminate wasteful spending, he said.

Shirley made his remarks during a press conference Monday afternoon at his office to speak about his thoughts on the initiatives.

“I think it’s a significant milestone by way of history that we’re making and I’m glad we’re doing that,” Shirley said.

The order by Perry could allow two questions put to the Navajo people in an election within six months, including whether to reduce the Council and to give the line item veto power to the president.

Shirley said that it will take about $250,000 to hold an election.

“I feel like we’re finally making some headway in putting some form of initiative reform in place,” he said. “I think when the people are moving, I think it’s hard to stop that. I think this is such a case. I think people want it and I like to believe that the people are going to have their way.”

“This is a government here for the people, and the people need to be involved in trying to bring this forward,” Shirley said.