Alberta MLA's old board launches formal challenge to UCP over ouster

United Conservative MLA Leela Aheer's original constituency board has filed a dispute notice to the party's executive to challenge the results of a meeting that turfed them. 

John Kittler, the Chestermere-Strathmore constituency president at that time, had written to the party following the results of the riding's Jan. 8 annual general meeting, which elected new leadership and ousted him and his colleagues. Kittler alleged there were voting irregularities and that the results could be fraudulent — accusations the party has denied. 

Now Kittler's group has filed a formal dispute notice to the UCP demanding that the meeting results be declared void and the original board be restored.

In the interim, they're requesting an order that the party not delete any records related to the vote, prevent the new board from administrating constituency association business, and require relevant parties to testify under oath about the incident. 

CBC News obtained a copy of the dispute letter, sent Wednesday to the party, and the response from UCP president Cynthia Moore, who said the party has received the document and referred it to its arbitration committee, who will appoint a dispute resolution panel. The complaint will be dealt with according to the party's governance bylaws, and none of the allegations have been proven.

Membership list questioned

The complaint letter alleges an updated membership list wasn't provided to the board until the night of the meeting. The individual from the party who supplied the list, who was also acting as the party's returning officer, showed up 45 minutes late to the vote with the names. 

That vote ousted the president, chief financial officer, secretary and 17 of 22 other board members. 

Aheer's old board claims eight of the leadership nominees were not on their most recent official members list from Dec. 23. The dispute also alleges at least two of the people elected did not appear on membership lists, including the one brought to the meeting.

The dispute notice also claims that, after cross-referencing the lists, there was a discrepancy of more than 50 people, some of who cast ballots. 

It says the constituency president accessed the voter list electronically the day before the meeting and found 409 members. The December list had 436 members. The physical list provided by the returning officer on the night of the vote had 491 names.

The document says the claimant board has not received any explanation of these irregularities from the party.

In response to questions from CBC News the party said it was an internal matter. "It will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution process set out by our members," an emailed statement reads.

Aheer still has some support

The Chestermere-Strathmore riding is represented by Aheer, whom Kittler and the board have continued to support during her repeated public criticisms of Premier Jason Kenney. 

Aheer was demoted from cabinet and has been intensely critical of Kenney in the past year, including calling for him to step down. Aheer's nomination for the 2023 provincial election is being challenged by Chantelle de Jong. 

For weeks, the old board has refused to acknowledge the results of the meeting. The party denies the allegations and says the board must support a transition of authority. 

The arbitration committee will determine if a breach has occurred. If wrongdoing is found, consequences range from reprimand to revocation of party membership, according to the UCP governance manual.

"We will not permit the manipulation of the results of the meeting by ineligible persons as was attempted," Kittler said in the days after the AGM.

When asked for further comment, he declined.

Party says meeting results are in full force

"To be clear, you are not the president and must cease purporting to represent yourself as the president," reads the response from Dustin van Vugt, executive director of the UCP. 

Van Vugt's letter says he personally investigated the matter and the allegations are unfounded. He says the holiday season accounted for delays in the membership list being updated with members who may have registered right up to the AGM deadline. 

"The results of that meeting are in full force and effect," he states. 

UCP members are required to have joined the party at least 21 days prior to voting in an AGM.

The forthcoming arbitration process is a quasi-judicial proceeding contained to the party.

The dispute notice also demands an in-person hearing of the matter with the participants testifying under oath.