Michael Ignatieff

Some Liberals want to recall Michael Ignatieff

Updated Sat. Dec. 3 2005 8:43 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Some Liberals in Toronto's Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding still want to choose their candidate, instead of simply supporting the party's choice. They are calling for a new nomination meeting.

Their demands come even as candidate Michael Ignatieff, who was acclaimed at a stormy meeting on Monday, is greeting voters and putting up election signs.

The Liberal Party has long seen Ignatieff, a renowned author and academic, as a potential star candidate.

Having just returned to Canada from Harvard University, Ignatieff wanted to run in a Toronto-area riding. Liberal MP Jean Augustine, 68, stepped aside to allow Ignatieff to run in her riding.

However, others who wanted the chance to run say they were blocked from filing nomination papers.

The same group also says Ignatieff's 1994 book about ethnic nationalism, Blood and Belonging, is insulting to people of Ukrainian heritage. Etobicoke-Lakeshore has a large Ukrainian-Canadian population, with about seven per cent of the population reporting Ukrainian origins.

However, Ignatieff has said in the 11 years since the the book was published, this is the first time he has had it attacked for being anti-Ukrainian. He has denied being anti-Ukrainian, noting his Russian ancestors are buried on Ukrainian soil.

Now the dissidents are asking the party to start over again. Riding association president Ron Chyczij -- who tried to run for the nomination -- met with party officials on Saturday with a request.

"We would like to have another nomination meeting. Just recall it from a week from now, and let people … go at it," said Chyczij.

Liberals are considering the request, but a decision will not be made until next week.

That leaves Ignatieff carrying the party banner at least until then.

In the meantime, he is trying to put the controversy behind him and focus on the job of winning votes.

"I'm the new guy on the block, and I've got to prove myself. And I've got to do it everyday until the 23rd of January," Ignatieff said.

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