Marijuana Party Finds Name Changed On Ballot

Jim Finnel

Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Marijuana Party supporters were smokin' mad yesterday when their candidates appeared on ballots as the "Radical" Marijuana Party.

Abbotsford candidate Tim Felger said adding the word radical was "pretty disturbing." "This deepens the perception of me being a radical. It's just slanderous," he said. "Other parties don't get prefixes such as Neo-Conservative." Felger said he signed papers with Elections Canada which listed the party's name as Marijuana.

"Elections Canada said that's how it would appear on the ballot. I'm upset. Somebody injected the word radical into the paperwork," he said.

A handful of other Marijuana candidates across Canada were also affected in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Felger was the party's only B.C. candidate.

Christine Wiebe, assisting returning officer in Abbotsford, said the ballots were printed locally following directions from Ottawa.

"That is the instruction we were given. My understanding is that is how the party was registered nationally," she said.

The party is listed as the Marijuana Party on its website. There is another website called Radical Marijuana.

Felger supporter Judith Isaaks-Sol of Abbotsford said she "just about cried" when she noticed it.

"It's such an injustice. How dare they put in the word radical. A guy in his 50s might not vote for Tim if he saw the word radical. It's a descriptive word. It's wrong," she said.

Felger, 52, said the party may decide to ask for another election.

"I'd love that," said Felger.

He has been active in the campaign to decriminalize marijuana in Abbotsford for several years and was once a U.S. serviceman.


News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Canada.com
Author: Kent Spencer
Copyright: 2008 Canwest Digital Media
Contact: About | canada.com
Website: Party finds name changed on ballot
 
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