Senator Charlie Watt elected new president of Makivik Corporation

Makivik Corporation, the organization representing Inuit in Nunavik in northern Quebec, has a new president-elect — well-known politician Charlie Watt Sr.

Watt was elected on Thursday with 54 per cent of the vote, beating four other candidates.

Incumbent Jobie Tukkiapik came in second with 33 per cent of the vote. Lucy Grey received six per cent of votes, Alacie Arngak received four per cent and Jackie Williams got about three per cent of votes.

In total, 3,814 Inuit voted in the election — a turnout of about 47 per cent.

Watt was appointed to the Senate by former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. He started representing Quebec in January 1984. Watt has said he is in the process of resigning his Senate seat.

Born in Kuujjuaq, Watt's Senate biography says he was a founding president of Makivik between 1978 and 1982. He was also a northern officer with the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs and as president of Air Inuit Ltd.