Rabesca elected Tlicho grand chief

Joe Rabesca was elected grand chief of the Tlicho government on Monday, beating the incumbent and two other challengers for the job.

Rabesca won the grand chief election with 583 votes, followed by former Behchoko, N.W.T., chief Eddie Erasmus with 366 votes.

Incumbent grand chief George Mackenzie finished in third place with 271 votes, while former Whati, N.W.T., chief Charlie Jim Nitsiza was fourth with 261 votes.

Rabesca becomes the second grand chief of the Tlicho since its land claim and self-government agreement with the federal government was ratified in 2005.

He led the Tlicho then known as the Dogrib during the term preceding Mackenzie's, in the years of negotiations leading up to the land claim being ratified.

Help from other leaders

In 2005, after the claim was ratified, Rabesca chose not to seek re-election as grand chief and was succeeded by Mackenzie.

Rabesca said Tlicho members want to see changes in the way their government is run, so he's ready to do the job with the help of other aboriginal leaders.

"These are people that negotiated land claims. Those are the kind of people that you need," Rabesca told CBC News late Monday.

"They're the ones that negotiated land claims. They're the ones that should implement land claims with the chiefs."

About 75 per cent of 2,060 eligible voters cast ballots in Monday's election.