Senator Charlie Watt elected new president of Makivik Corporation

MakivikCorporation, the organization representing Inuit in Nunavikin northern Quebec,has a new president-elect well-known politician Charlie Watt Sr.

• 5 running for president in Makivik Corporation election

Watt was elected on Thursdaywith 54 per cent of the vote, beating four other candidates.

IncumbentJobieTukkiapikcame in second with33 per cent of the vote. Lucy Grey received sixper cent of votes,Alacie Arngakreceived fourper cent and Jackie Williams got about threeper cent of votes.

In total, 3,814 Inuit voted in the electiona turnout of about 47 per cent.

Watt was appointed to the Senate byformer Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. He started representing Quebecin January 1984.Watt has saidhe is in the process of resigning his Senate seat.

Born in Kuujjuaq, Watt's Senate biography says he was a founding president of Makivik between 1978 and 1982. He was also a northern officer with theDepartment of Indian and Northern Affairs and as president ofAir Inuit Ltd.