Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 12, 1 December 2000 — Oath of office delayed for OHA trustees [ARTICLE]

Oath of office delayed for OHA trustees

ALAST-MINUTE filing on Nov. 27 to contest the Nov. 7 eleeion results has delayed an official swearing-in ceremony for Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees. Hawai'i Supreme Court Justice Ronald Moon was set to administer the oaths to all nine trustees-elect on Nov. 28. The petition to contest the eleetion results was filed by Kaui Jochanan Amsterdam with the Hawai'i Supreme Court at 4: 16 p.m., Nov. 27, minutes before the 20-day eleeuon challenge period lapsed. The Hawai'i Supreme Court, according to Hawai'i Revised Stamtes, has 10 days from the filing date to issue a summons to defendants Dwayne Yoshina, chief elections officer, and Gov. Ben Cayetano. No board meetings are scheduled until fiirther notice. Kaui Jochanan Amsterdam is one of 96 candidates who ran for an OHA seat in the 2000 elections. His petition to the Hawai'i Supreme Court asks for the election to be declared invalid and for a recount to separate Hawaiian votes from nonHawaiian votes. Until the state Supreme Court rules on Amsterdam's challenge, the elected trustees' official swearing-in ceremony will be on hold. Check OHA's website at www.OHA.org for updates. ■