The Chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body has notified the ACT Electoral Commissioner that one of Elected Body’s members, Mr John Paul Janke, has resigned his position on the Elected Body.

“I am now required to announce the vacancy and call for applications from the unsuccessful candidates at the 2011 Elected Body election who still live in the ACT, and who wish to contest the vacancy,” the Electoral Commissioner, Phil Green said today.

Vacancies on the Elected Body are filled by distributing the votes of the former member. “In effect, those voters who voted for Mr Janke determine his replacement,” Mr Green said.

“To begin the formal process for filling the vacancy, I will be placing an advertisement in The Canberra Times on Saturday 2 March 2013 inviting candidates who stood unsuccessfully at the 2011 election to contest the vacancy. Those candidates then have 10 days to apply to contest the vacancy, if they wish to do so,” Mr Green said.

Applications will close at 12 noon on 12 March 2013. “I will declare the names of the candidates who wish to contest the vacancy at 12.30pm that day,” Mr Green said

“Then, if more than 1 candidate applies to contest the vacancy, a distribution of the votes received by Mr Janke will take place at my office, commencing at 2pm that same day, to elect a candidate to fill the vacancy,” Mr Green said.