PEMBROKE — The Supreme Court of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has been petitioned to determine if Tribal Chairman Paul Brooks is for re-election in the tribe’s November election.
Eric Locklear, a self-proclaimed community activist, submitted a petition that had circulated on Facebook. The petition includes 112 signatures, 88 fewer than Locklear’s goal of 200. Locklear said that another petition seeking signatures is still circulating in the community.
“As our most recent tribal election (November 2014) saw at least one district elected a member of the Tribal Council with only 61 votes, the 112 signatures submitted in this petition may legitimately be interpreted as the will of the Lumbee People,” Locklear wrote.
Locklear said that he submitted his petition this week in hopes that some kind of action would be taken while thousands of tribal members from across the country are gathered in Pembroke for the tribe’s annual Homecoming, which ends today.
“The question that everyone is asking is: Can Paul run again?” he said.
Locklear argues that Brooks should not be eligible to run for re-election because the tribe’s constitution says that the chairperson “shall be elected by the general membership for a term of three years and shall not serve more than two consecutive terms.” Locklear contends that the constitution does not specifically define a term.
Locklear points to a 2004 Supreme Court ruling that defines a “term” as when a person files for a tribal office, wins the election, and is then sworn into office.
Brooks is finishing his fourth year in office. He was elected to finish the last year of former Chairman Purnell Swett’s term before winning his own three-year term in November 2012.
Although Brooks has not announced he will seek re-election, there is widespread speculation that he will.
Repeated attempts by The Robesonian to get comments from tribal officials or Brooks concerning his plans for seeking re-election or reaction to the petition have been unsuccessful.
Locklear said earlier this week that the court had not responded to his petition. He said he delivered the petitions to the five court justices by way of one justice’s wife.
“I gave her enough copies of my petition for each of the justices to have their own copy,” he said.
Sheila Beck-Jones, chairman of the tribe’s Elections Board, told The Robesonian that if Brooks decides to file, he would be treated like any other candidate. Each candidate will be certified on an individual basis, she said.
The Elections Board recently set Nov. 17 as the date for this year’s tribal elections. The filing period is from Aug. 24 to Sept. 18.
