Navajo Nation Council deletes Candelaria

July 29, 2008

THIS IS A FILE PHOTO OF CRISS CANDELARIA

On July 21st, 2008 the Navajo Nation Council deleted Apache County Attorney, Criss Candelaria, from the summer session agenda, reported the Gallup Independent. The Gallup Independent stated Candelaria was supposed to address the entire Navajo Nation Council, however, just as he was getting ready to speak a motion was made to remove him from the agenda. The motion was seconded.

As a result the motion to remove Candelaria went to a full vote of the Navajo Nation Council. The council voted 54 to 14 to remove him from the agenda. After being removed by an almost 4 to 1 ratio, Candelaria left the meeting and did not return. Some of the reasons stated by delegates for removing Candelaria from the agenda were that in his six years in office he had never asked to speak to the council before and that the only reason he wanted to speak was because Michael Whiting is running against him.

Whiting has received generous support from the Navajo Nation, as he used to work for the Navajo Nation and live on the Navajo Reservation. With these concerns, along with several others, the council felt him speaking was nothing more than a political attempt to gather what little support he might have left.
To read the related article go to http://www.gallupindependent.com/2008/07july/072308.html